It Just Can't Be
by sainlyinsain
Summary: It really sucks when you get hit by a car, but for Hayley, it just might have been the best thing that ever happened to her because Hayley wakes up a couple days later in the hospital to her fraternal twin Elena Gilbert. Yeah, you heard right. That car crash sent Hayley straight into the Vampire Diaries. (Does not follow seasons unless stated otherwise) I do not own Vampire Diaries
1. Chapter 1

"I wouldn't be able to choose, Ella." I say as the screen returns to the menu of The Vampire Diaries disc. I shut the TV off and she was wiping her eyes.

"I would! Stefan is so sweet, Hayley. Why would you even have a thought about Damon? He's an egotistical asshole."

"Egotistical assholes are kind of my thing." I grimace and we both make a face. She knows I was referencing to my ex boyfriend Jason. I loved him the same reason I love Damon. I thought I could fix him but he just turned out to be the biggest jerk. He hit me once and I lost all respect for him. It's been a week and I tried to hide the pain behind my sarcasm. Ella and I haven't been close for that long so she still couldn't see through my lies.

"I know it still hurts you." Okay, guess I was wrong. I looked at her and nodded. She opened her arms and I crawled over and let her hug me. I refused to cry but it didn't stop me from remembering the good things about Jason.

"I'm glad we met this year. Summer's going to be great with you." I pulled away and she checked the time on her cell phone.

"It's two o'clock. I think we should go to bed." I nodded and I got up to turn the light off. I crawled back in bed and I swiftly fell asleep.

_ I was walking down the street, but it wasn't any street in my hometown, it was the main street of Mystic Falls, from the Vampire Diaries. I opened the door to the Mystic Grill and walked over to a group of people over at one of the pool tables._

_ "Hayley, I thought you and Damon couldn't make it out? A girl turned around and I could tell it was Elena, except she looked older. She had a few laugh lines around her face and she was a little heavier. _

_ "Turned out the appointment was tomorrow!" I said happily as I greeted her with a kiss on the cheek._

_ "Love, you couldn't even wait for me?" I turned to see Damon with a gray baby carrier covered by a sweet, knit baby blanket made with all the blues you could imagine in his hands. What? He kissed my mouth sweetly before setting the carrier on the table._

_ "Oh my God, you brought the baby? Let me see him!" Elena said. I looked over at Stefan who just kissed my cheek and shook hands with his brother. What?_

_ "He's so precious." I heard Elena say as she lifted the blanket. Inside was the cutest baby boy ever. He had tufts of black hair all over his olive skin and his eyes were steel grey like mine. I looked at Damon and he smiled sweetly at me. _

_ 'Take him out Hayley. He's been fussy and nobody but his momma can calm him down, you know that." Damon said. I gingerly lifted the baby and settled him in my arms. This was my baby…with Damon. What? HE smiled at me and grasped at my hair. I couldn't help but smile in return. He was gorgeous._

_ "Hand him over to his aunt. We don't get to see you guys much now that he's here!" Damon took the baby out of my hands and placed him in Elena's hands. She and Stefan cooed over the baby and Damon slung his arm around my shoulder while we watched. I was so confused with what was going on. I was in the Vampire Diaries, had a baby with Damon, and was the sister of Elena. What? _

When I woke up, I was alone and it was already noon.

"Just a dream." I muttered. With a groan I pulled myself out of bed and into my bathroom. I brushed my teeth and washed my face then went back to change into my workout clothes. Before I made my way down into the kitchen, I made sure that I stretched thoroughly. My dad was making eggs while my little brother ate a bowl of cereal.

"Where's Ella?" I asked as I grabbed a Gatorade from the fridge.

"Left, they called her into work. She said that if she could she would drop by afterwards, something like you guys had plans?" My dad said as he looked at me. I smiled and kissed his cheek.

"The fair is here, Dad. I thought we talked about this." He nodded and went back to his eggs. I took a small sip before I pulled on my shoes and left. I raised my eyes to shield them from the sun while I stood on my porch, choosing which direction I would start my jog off with. I slipped the headphones on my head and pressed play on my phone. I took off to my right, towards the fairgrounds.

I listened to the pounding drums of the song and matched my pace with the beat. I kept my eyes on the pavement in front of me and focused on the pumping my arms and the pounding of my heart. The song ended and another came on, this time a bit slower. I slowed down to match with the beat of the current song and that's how it went the whole two miles to the fairgrounds. With every song that came up on my playlist, I would slow or speed my body to match the rhythm and beat. My body didn't know when to be tired and my muscles burned as I stopped at the entrance to the fairgrounds. I took many deep breaths and a drink of my Gatorade. I smiled in pride and began my way back to my house, repeating my earlier routine. Just as one of the songs was ending, I heard the screech of tires and looked up just in enough time to see a car spinning out of a control. I tried to move out of the way as the SUV slammed into my front. I heard the crunch of my bones breaking and the air was ripped from my lungs. I heard the crack of my skull hit the concrete and the blackness flooded my vision. My last thought was of my brother and dad before I was out of consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

I was unconscious, I knew that. Why I was unconscious is what I did not know. Images flashed through my mind, some familiar and some foreign. Strangely, I knew that these were memories. There were images of my mother and father bringing home my baby brother when I was ten. Then, there was the memory of my twin sister and me playing together when we were kids, but I knew that I didn't have a twin sister. She was familiar and strange all at the same time. I knew her, but then I didn't. Remembering her was like remembering a friend that you had met at summer camp when you were young, but then lost contact with. I knew I cared for her and I knew that she cared for me. I saw images of a different little brother, one that was not as young as the other one. This brother's name was Jeremy and he was just two years younger than my sister, Elena, and I. What was going on?

"Hayley, if you could wake up now that would be great." I heard a male's voice say. A finger stroked my cheek and I felt tears fall on my forehead, then a mouth kiss them away. I felt a hand in mine, squeezing gently. There was a constant high-pitched beeping that sounded close to my left ear. I hurt all over and I wanted to see where I was, but my eyes refused to open. I tried to speak, but nothing happened. I felt like my vocal cords were cemented shut and that my mouth was full of cotton. I tried to move to squeeze the hand that was holding mine, but once again I found it impossible. I then was once again unconscious, returning to my memory slide show.

I had no concept of time, but what I did know was that the hand in mine had not moved. Whoever it belonged to stayed by my side the whole time that I was unable to communicate. I tried multiple times to speak, to move, to do anything, but all attempts were futile.

Finally, the moment came when I tried to squeeze the fingers I was holding and I did.

"Stefan, she squeezed my hand." A girl said. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't do that yet, nor could I speak. I squeezed her hand once more before returning to the montage of memories.

Then later on, the hand was no longer in mine and I began to panic. How long had it been since I had been out? Days? Weeks? Years? The only name in my mind was Elena, this girl that was my supposed twin. The girl that was familiar yet so strange to me. I knew that I had seen her, of course I had seen her before, I had memories with her…but this feeling was different. Like seeing a celebrity on the street, but I couldn't quite place it.

"Elena." I managed to murmur. I head a gasp and the hand was back, just as warm and soothing as ever.

"I'm here, Hayley. I'm here." I squeezed back and I was able to open my eyes.

The girl sitting next to me on my bed was very pretty. She had olive skin and the prettiest brown eyes I had ever seen. Her long, straight hair was a deep chestnut and was pulled back in a low ponytail. Right now, those brown eyes were filled with tears. I swallowed and tried to talk, but found that my throat was raw.

"Hush, you don't need to talk." She said and wiped her tears. I didn't like that she was crying, and I felt the tears fall from my eyes.

"It's ok, don't cry." She wiped my tears away and smiled. I smiled back and motioned to the water sitting on the night stand. She held the cup to my mouth as the cool liquid made its way down my throat.

"Better?" I nodded and took a breath. She just held my hand and looked at me with the look of utmost patience.

"What happened?" Her face dropped and before she got o say anything, a young man that I recognized as Jeremy and a woman I knew as Jenna walked in. Where were my parents?

"You're awake!" Jeremy said and barreled straight towards the bed. I cringed in pain as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Still really sore. Down boy." I said in a hoarse whisper and he looked at me with these big sad eyes that looked exactly like Elena's.

"It was like Mom and Dad all over again." He whispered. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"What happened to Mom and Dad? Why aren't they here?" I asked. I looked from Jenna to Jeremy to Elena.

"Hayley…Mom and Dad died in a car crash last spring, remember?" I looked at her and then the memories came back. The funeral. The sadness. The walls I had built to cover the sadness, the way I pushed Jenna and Elena away all summer.

"I remember." I asked, the grief coming back. It took everything in me to keep the tears back. Then another memory came to my minds eye. I was standing at a tombstone when I was thirteen. It was my mother's but the name was different. The death dates were different.

"She's awake." Another voice said. I looked up to see a very attractive boy with bronze hair. He came over and kissed the top of Elena's head. Who was this?

"Who are you?" I asked before I could stop the words. He looked a little taken aback and then sad.

'I'm Stefan Salvatore, Damon's brother. We're best friends Hayley." He said with a small tinge of sadness in his voice. I shook my head, not remembering anything about him.

"Why am I in the hospital?" The whole room stilled and Jenna took the place of Elena. She gently held both of my hands and kissed my forehead.

"You were running and you had headphones in, you and you're friend Ella." I nodded, remembering Ella. We had been best friends since we were young.

"Where is she?" I asked. Jenna's eyes grew wet.

"Sweetheart, a drunk driver crashed into the two of you. She had internal bleed and unfortunately didn't make it through surgery." The tears escaped her as she finished. I took my hands out of hers and covered my eyes. Ella's face popped up in my mind. The first time we met, the first sleepover, our first boyfriend's, my parent's death, my depression, her mom's death. Everything we had ever gone through together flashing through my mind.

"Hayley, everything's going to be alright." Elena said. I dragged my hands away from my face and stared into her eyes. She wilted under my intensity and turned into Stefan's chest.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"Two days. You cracked your head and you've been in a coma ever since. The doctor said that you would experience some memory loss, which explains why you didn't remember your parents' death at first and Stefan." I nodded and in walked a man with the most gorgeous blue eyes under a mop of black hair. He smirked at me and raised his eyebrow.

'Finally decided to join the living?" He asked and stood next to Stefan. Elena shot him a glare.

"And you are?" I asked. His eyebrows furrowed then he smirked.

"I'm your husband. Honey, are you saying you don't remember me?" He said, displaying a face of confusion. I gasped and looked down at my left hand, but there was no ring.

"Damon, don't mess with her. She doesn't remember Stefan, so I highly doubt she remembers you." Elena said condescendingly. I laughed.

"That was funny. Are you funny?" I asked.

"Of course! I'm the funniest." He said. I smirked and looked back at Jenna.

"Is Ella really dead, or was that another sick joke?" I asked in a monotone. Jenna paused, taken back by my question.

"I'm sorry, Hayley, but Ella really did pass away." I nodded and took a deep breath.

"Out." I said. I looked at everybody and their shocked faces. I took another breath, feeling the wave of emotions come over me.

"I said out!" I cried. Jenna nodded and grabbed Jeremy. Stefan wrapped his arm around Elena, but I grabbed her hand.

"Not you." I whispered. She paused, then nodding at Stefan, sat back down in the chair by my bedside. I watched as Stefan shot me a small smile and Damon winked at me. When they had left and closed the door, I took a breath.

"Hayley, I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered and she began to cry. I scooted over and she climbed in to bed with me as I held her while she cried. I had just lost my best friend, yet I was holding my crying twin sister.

"I'm okay, Elena. Look, all safe and sound." I said. She sobbed and sat up.

"You shouldn't be okay, you should be dead! It's only a miracle that you are here with us." She said and I nodded.

"When's her funeral?" I whispered after a while.

"Tomorrow. The doctor said you could be discharged when you woke up. Jenna probably went to get him when the left." I nodded and covered my face with my hands once more.

At that moment, the door opened and in walked in an older man with a kind smile.

"How you feeling Hayley?" He asked as he came in and felt around my head. I winced slightly and he wrote something down in his filed.

"Looks like your cranium is slightly cracked, but you should be good. Now with the memory loss, you should regain that in a few days, but if you don't, I want you back in her for testing. I'm prescribing you pain killers. Take it easy for the next few weeks; you know just to be safe." He said and handed Elena the paper with the prescriptions. She thanked him and he nodded.

''I'm glad you pulled through Hayley. If you didn't have the Gilbert stubborn trait, I don't know if you would have pulled through." He smiled and left the room. Jenna popped in with a small smile on her face.

"I've already signed the discharged papers. You just got to change and we can go home." I nodded and smiled at her as she left. Elena already had some clothes on her lap. A nurse came in and took the IV out of my arm and offered to help me change.

'No thanks, I got it." Elena said. The nurse nodded and left. I looked to see Elena holding up a pair of yoga pants and an unfamiliar black and grey striped sweater.

"The sweater is Damon's." She said and I nodded. She turned as I put my bra on. She turned back around and helped me with my shirt and my pants. When Elena wasn't looking, I sniffed my shoulder and almost swooned. It smelled phenomenal. She found my socks and handed me a pair of boots,"moon shoes" as Jeremy called them. She turned me around and gingerly combed through my long dark brown hair and French braided it. I brushed my teeth in the attached bathroom and washed my face. I turned back to Elena who had tears in her eyes again.

"Why are you crying?" I asked as I pulled her in gingerly for a hug. She wrapped her arms around my waist and let out a deep sigh, her breath tickling my ear.

"I was just thinking about how different this day could have been." She whispered and we stood like that, enjoying the warmth of the other's embrace.

"You guys- oh sorry, didn't know I was interrupting something." Stephan inquired from the door. Elena wiped her eyes and nodded. She grabbed my hand and led me out of the hospital and to the car where Jeremy helped me and buckled me in. I laughed and shoved him off of me. He smiled and we were on our way home, but I couldn't help the sadness that was overwhelming me at the death of my friend. I felt like it was my fault she was dead, like I should have done more to protect her.

"Home sweet home!" Jeremy muttered as we walked, slowly for my benefit, to the front door. I smiled and we walked in the house.

"Need anything? Food? Water? A reset life button?" Jenna asked. I laughed and shook my head no, voicing my need for my own bed. She nodded and Elena helped me up the stairs and to my room. I smiled sadly as we entered a light blue room…filled with pictures of me and Ella.

"On second thought…can I stay with you for a while?" I asked. Elena nodded understandingly and we went to her room. She pulled back the covers on her bed and tucked me in. I laughed.

"Ok, I understand that I've been in the hospital, but I'm not going to break. You heard the doctor; I'm fit as a fiddle." Elena laughed and sat next to me.

"I'm gad you're home sis." I nodded and yawned. She smiled and left the room, knowing I wanted to go to sleep. I turned over on my side and cuddled into the blankets that smelled of my sister and comfort. As sleep washed over me, I couldn't help but feel like I was a stranger in this house, and that something weird was going on.

**AN: Hayley looks like Selena Gomez when Selena's hair was a lighter brown, like Elena's and her skin tone is the same as Elena's.**

**What did you think? I hope that it was good and you guys enjoyed it! The next chapter will include the funeral of Ella: who is the same Ella from the real world. Why is Hayley in TVD? How did this happen? Will Hayley realize which world is real? And when she finds out which one is real, which one will she choose? Thanks for reading! Shout out to lilsis321 for my first review! **

**Love you guys!**

**P.S. from now on, Hayley's outfits will be posted on my Polyvore. The link is on my profile****. I also plan on making a trailer for this song, and when I do, the link to my YouTube is also on my profile.**

**Until next time! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES! I DO OWN MY OC, HAYLEY! ENJOY!**

I took a deep breath as I put the finishing touches on my hair. I pulled on my boots and smoothed down my dress. I exited the bathroom and saw Stephan leaning against the wall opposite from me.

"Hey." He said. I could tell he was confused as to why my eyes widened, but as soon as he spoke, memories started to pour in my brain. Bonding with Stefan after him and my sister got together: playing video games, listening to music, playing pool and eating at the Mystic Grill, helping him over his and my sister's break up, helping him get back together with her. All these moments made me remember why he became my best friend and why I loved him with my sister. He was amazing, a great listener, and he was so kind. He was the only person I called my best friend…besides Ella. I swallowed over the lump that was forming in my throat.

"Hi." He took my hand and searched my eyes.

"You okay?"

"You always do that when I'm upset. Grab my hand and ask that." I nodded toward my hand. He smiled and pulled me in an embrace.

'You remember." I nodded and hugged him back.

"Yeah, just now. What are you doing up here?" I asked.

"Elena wanted to know if you were done, we're about to leave." I nodded and we let go. I walked down the stairs and saw Jenna, Elena and Jeremy at the bottom. Damon stood behind them, outside of the house, a smirk on his face when he saw my shoes.

"You were those shoes with everything!" Elena said. I shrugged and I remember Ella giving them to my for my birthday last year.

"Ella gave them to me." I said quietly. Elena froze and I patted her shoulder as we walked out of the house. Damon put his hand on the small of my back and led me to my aunt's car. He opened the door and set me down.

"Remember me yet?" He smirked. I shook my head no and he nodded and slammed the door. I felt bad, but it's not like I can just force the memories. I don't think he really cared that much, but I got the feeling that he just wanted to be the center of attention. I watched his back muscles ripple through his tight, black, button down shirt. I fanned myself and looked forward.

"Do you want to stop by the florists and get flowers?" Jenna asked? I nodded slowly and watched the ground beside us as we pulled out of the driveway. I picked up a bouquet of white lilies when we got to the florists and I gave them to Ella's crying mother when we got to the graveyard. It was a beautiful day. Ella would have liked that.

"You know, you were the best friend Ella had. You made her days here on Earth…you were…" She kept choked up and flung her arms around me, sobbing. I patted her back and soothed her.

"I loved- love her. She was a very big part of my life. I'll miss her greatly." I said to her. She sobbed harder before pulling back.

"Than you, lilies were her favorite." She sniffled and took them away.

'I know." I whispered, but she was already gone. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked at Elena and Stefan talking to Caroline. I started walking over to them when a hand touched my elbow. I looked over to see Ella's little sister Emily.

"How are you?" The thirteen asked. I nodded and pulled her in for a hug. Like her mother, she sobbed against me and I held her.

"I'm not going to have a big sister now." She whispered to me.

"I'll always be here, ya know. I'll be your big sister. I've known you since you were like two weeks old, kid." She nodded and kissed my cheek before scurrying off. I checked the time and made my way over to Jenna, who was standing some feet away from the coffin, along with the semi-circle that had formed around it.

She squeezed my hand. I looked and saw a large picture of Ella and I next to her coffin. My eyes brimmed with tears and I squeezed Jenna's hand back, hard.

"Hayley, your hurting my hand." She whispered. I let go and wiped at my eyes carefully.

"If everyone would gather around, we'd like to get started now." Pastor Charles said. A finger tapped on my shoulder. I looked up to see Ella's dad.

"Hayley, if you wouldn't mind standing up in the front with us? Emily wants you to." I nodded and got up. I Emily and took her hand. She leaned her head against my shoulder and she sniffled.

"Ella was an amazing girl. She was smart and beautiful. She was Vice President of Student Council at school and was going into her junior year. She is survived by her parents, John and Emma, her grandparents, six cousins and one sister. She passed away from car accident three days ago, a tragedy it will take us all a long time to overcome. She was a bright light when it was dark times and avid learner…" I tuned out as I stared at Ella's blank face. Her pale blond hair was splayed behind her, and her already pale skin was even paler, as were her lips. I sighed as someone touched my shoulder.

"Will you give Ella's eulogy? I didn't. I can't..." Her mother asked.

"Oh no I couldn't." Her eyes watered and I nodded. I got up, smoothed my dress, and made my way over to the pastor. My stomach shuddered as I looked up at the many people gathered before me.

"Ella was my best friend, you know? Um, she was a part of everyday life. She was…wow, how do you explain a person like Ella? She was so…thirsty for knowledge. I mean, that girl tried so hard in school, going beyond anyone to fully understand the material. She was a dreamer. She was a thinker. She was kind and loyal. She was-" I swallowed and blinked a few times." I miss her. She was always there when you needed a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on, someone to lean on when times were rough." I looked over at Emily, who was crying in her hands. I saw some girls from school who barely knew Ella crying like someone had told them their parents died.

"I knew Ella. She was taken from this Earth too early. I'll miss her for as long as I live, and I'll remember her forever. I'll love her forever, just like her family will. She will always be apart of our lives, no matter what." I walked away from the podium and over to her coffin. I took out of my pocket the necklace that she had left at my house, a locket inscribed with her favorite Bible scripture. I placed it around her neck, my hands shaking. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I locked my hands against the side of her coffin to keep myself standing and I heard people milling around. Roses were set on her chest, but I made no move to get out of the way.

"Miss Gilbert, we're closing the coffin now." The pastor murmured to me. I shook my head hard, feeling the tears. I was looking down at her face, trying to keep it fresh in my mind. This is the last time I would see it in person, even though it didn't look quite right.

"Miss Gilbert." The pastor insisted. My shoulders began to shake and my eyes went blurry.

"I've got her." A voice said. A hand lifted my fingers off the coffin. I tried to hold on but they were too strong for me. I look up to see Damon, his blue eyes sad.

"Please." I whispered. His arm wrapped around my waist and they led me away. I struggled, but he held on to me tight. I shook him off and ran. I couldn't take those pitiful looks sent my way. Poor girl, they said, lost her parents not too long ago and now she lost her sister. I got into Jenna's car, and grabbed the keys from the visor. I started the car and peeled out of the parking lot.

"The falls." I whispered and held on to the steering wheel, my knuckles white, and drove the car through the woods, on the dirt road that lead to the namesake of our hometown. I felt an odd sense of déjà vu. This is where I came when my parents died.


	4. Chapter 4

"A place where I can cry and no one can watch." I looked down and saw a bottle of wine under the passenger seat. I got out of the car and watched the water fall over the edge and sat down on a rock. My eyes got blurry and I took a few deep breaths and looked at the sky.

"Why?" I whispered. I felt so angry, I could scream.

"WHY!" I shouted I fell to my knees and sobbed into my hands. My sobs echoed through the landscape and I repeated the words into my palms. I don't know how long I stayed like that, but it felt like years. I took long pulls from the bottle as I lied down on the cool, damp grass and watched the clouds. After the wine was all gone and I was warm and tingly I got back in my car, where I saw, on the floor, a bracelet with the name Ella engraved on a silver plaque. I sobbed and another wave of tears overcame me. I placed my forehead on the steering wheel and cried some more. It was starting to get dark outside. I wiped my face and my eyes and began the drive back home. I was drunk. No matter how many times I wiped my face, the tears kept sliding down my cheeks. I pulled in to the driveway sloppily and shut the car off. I checked my reflection before I headed into the house. I ran a shaky hand over my face and went inside the house.

"Where were you?" A voice called. I saw Elena get up, furious, while Stefan, Damon, Jeremy, and Jenna stood behind her.

"Not now." I slurred as I stumbled up the stairs as fast as I could. I closed and locked the door to my room. I looked and everywhere I saw were pictures of me and Ella. I closed my eyes and tried to block out her face. I walked over to the bulletin board over my desk and looked at the pictures. I looked down at the piles of drawings, signed by Ella on my desk. I wiped the tears, but they kept coming. I looked over and saw the pictures on my dresser. Pain was a constant reminder of the death of the people that mean so much to me. Grief and anger coursed through my veins and I through a picture of my parents across the room. It felt good, so I through another, this time it hit the door. I swiped my arm across my dresser and everything crashed to the floor. Tears dropped to my chest and I crossed over the room, glass crushing under my booted feet.

"Hayley, what's going on?" Damon called. The doorknob jiggled.

"Leave!" I ordered as I tore book after book from the shelves.

"Open the door." Elena said.

"Leave!" I screamed and threw a glass figurine at the door. I saw it shatter. It was a porcelain horse, beautifully painted by Ella when we were fifteen.

"No. No, no, no, no, no." I whispered as I grabbed the pieces from the floor. I set them on my bed. I was so angry. Rage I had never known was flying through me.

"Oh." I heard. I whirled around to see Stefan standing with the door off the hinges. Elena stood behind him, a hand over her mouth and Damon with a frown on his face.

"I broke it." I whispered. Stefan nodded and slowly made his way towards me.

"I can't stop crying." I murmured as I back away. Stefan held his hands up in front of him.

"I'm the strong one…and I can't stop crying." He nodded and took a step towards me. I shook my head and backed up. Elena took a step to me, but Damon held her back.

"Hayley?" She shook off his hands and moved past Stefan and was right in front of me.

"Don't touch me." I hissed as her hands came to rest on my arms. She pulled away quickly and Stefan was there, his arms around her.

"Come on, let me get this one." I looked up at Damon and memories were flying into my mind, painfully. I gasped and held my head. I mentally watched the interactions of Damon and I. We were at the Mystic Grill, here at the house, the boarding house, the falls; all of them similar to the ones with Stefan. I whimpered.

"Hayley." Stefan said softly. He was quite close.

"Please don't touch me. I can't." I tried to move away but his arms were around me. My knees buckled and he lowered us to the ground as I sobbed into my hands. His arms were around my shoulder as we knelt on the ground. Loud sobs erupted from my chest in a grief that I couldn't explain. I tried to stop them, but the came even harder. He sat their, rubbing my back and kissing my hair. I shook uncontrollably and I couldn't breath.

"Let me go!" I shouted and I pounded against his chest.

"Hayley, calm down." He said. I shook my head and hit his chest one more time.

"Please, let me go!" I didn't want his embrace, his pity. I shoved him away from me. I looked at the mirror, at the sad, tear-stained girl in my reflection. Her eyes were hollow and the skin around them puffy. I cocked back my fist and punched it, not flinching when the glass cut into my skin.

"Hayley!" Stefan caught me as I fell back, clutched my hand.

"I'm drunk and I'm sad and I'm bleeding. Leave me alone." I said. He left then, but I didn't want him to go. I almost called him back, but shut my mouth. I stumbled over to the door and went to close it, but it wasn't there. My head was spinning as I looked down at the blood on my dress. I hiccupped a sob and I slid down to the floor.

"Quite a mess you made in here." Damon said. He was standing in front of me.

"I'm drunk." I said. He laughed and hooked an arm under my knees. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he carried me to the bathroom.

"I don't want to be here." I mumbled. He nodded.

"I'll get you out of here when I get the glass out of your hand." I nodded and he sat me down on the counter in the bathroom. He pulled the slivers of glass out of my hand. He found the first aid kit. He held my hand over the sink and poured peroxide over it. I hissed as it bubbled.

"Baby." Damon smirked at me. I frowned.

"Don't call me that." He smirked again and wrapped a white cloth around my hand. He kissed it.

"All better." I nodded and tried to jump of the counter, but I stumbled when my feet hit the floor.

"Come one." He rolled his eyes and picked me back up. I laid my head on his shoulder and I saw the damage to my room. I began to cry again.

"Please don't start crying again." He said and I sobbed. He jostled me as we walked down the stairs.

"Where are you going with her? Is her hand okay?" Elena said. I looked at her.

"I'm drunk." Damon laughed and I pushed at his shoulders. He opened the door and set my on my feet.

'You think you can walk to the car?" I nodded but he kept an arm around my waist.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked again.

"I'm taking her over to mine; she said she doesn't want to be here."

"I don't trust you. Leave her here." Elena said.

"I'm drunk." I said as she tried to pull me away from him.

"Yes, we know." Damon said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. I could hear Elena's protest but we both ignored them. He opened the car and kind of just shoved me into the seat. I waved at Elena and Stefan who were standing on the porch, watching. Stefan kind of waved but Elena just glared. Damon got in the other side and began to drive. I looked over at him.

"I swear to God, if you say "I'm drunk" one more time, I'm going to put you to sleep." I pouted and leaned my head against the window. We got to the boarding house and he helped me inside. He sat me down on a couch and poured a drink.

'What is this?" I asked when he handed it to me.

"Bourbon." He exclaimed as he took a sip of his. I took mine like a shot, downing it all at once.

"Whoa there tiger, slow down, enjoy it." He said as he took my glass for a refill.

"I'm sad." I said. I didn't have anymore tears so I just slumped onto the side of the couch.

"Well, that's better than I'm drunk." He said. I sobbed.

"Never mind." He came over and sat me up right, He sat down next to me and handed me a glass.

"Do you think that giving me more alcohol is going to make me better?" I slurred slightly. He nodded and I sipped it. I shivered as it ran down my throat. It was very quiet as we both drank our bourbon in peace.

"Why did you destroy your room like that? I've never seen such anger in such a quiet little girl." He mused, lifting his eyebrow up. I laughed.

"I'm sad. Make me unsad." I said. He was confused but then he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"What would you like? A game of pool? More alcohol? I don't think you should take a shower in the state your in but…oh I've got it!" He got up and left the room. I must be more drunk than I thought because it looked like he was moving at hyper speed. He came back with a carton of ice cream and two spoons

"Caroline left this here one day I think." I took the lid off of it and shoved the spoon into the desert. It tasted so good and we ate the rest of it. I was no longer crying or sad. Well, I didn't feel as sad.

"You've got some chocolate on the corner of your mouth." I said, pointing to a spot on Damon's mouth where there was some ice cream. I wiped it off with my finger and put it in my mouth, sucking off the still cool treat.

Next thing I know, Damon's hovering over me, his mouth on mine. Unlike earlier, this contact was so good. My skin burned where his mouth trailed kissed down my neck. He tore off my jacket, quite literally.

"I liked that jacket." I murmured as he slightly sucked on a spot near the base of my throat. I gasped as his hand slid up my thigh. He grinned into my neck and his mouth was back on mine. I kissed him hard, blanking out all other emotions and focusing on the feel of Damon's skin on mine, as he now has his shirt off. I ran my hands through his dark hair, tugging on the ends. Before I knew it we were off the couch and up against a wall, my legs wrapped around Damon's waist. I let my hands trail over his defined back muscles before they settled around his neck. His mouth moved once again down to my neck and I sighed in pleasure.

"To your bedroom." I murmured.

"My pleasure." He whispered. We were there in no time. I tore off my dress and he took off his pants. We kissed some more and then my bra was gone. Soon there were no clothes in the equation and I didn't think about Ella, my parents, or Elena for the rest of the night as Damon made me feel like I never had before with anyone else I had been with. We made each other feel so good and I couldn't help but yell out his name as my ecstasy peaked. He moaned as he peaked also and we rested for a moment before we started another round.

AN: How about that? Some lemons for you! What will become of this night between Hayley and Damon? What will Elena and Stefan think? Does Hayley know the secret between the two brothers and will she ever find out? I guess that you'll have to keep up with the story to figure that out ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES, HOEWEVER; I DO OWN HAYLEY GILBERT AND ANYOTHER OC THAT APPEARS! THANK YOU AND ENJOY THE CHAPTER**

_In the dream, I was walking along the fairgrounds with someone at my side. I turned and saw Ella standing there, very happy and very much alive._

_ "How are you here right now?" I asked. I stopped her and she looked at me curiously._

_ "Did that run make you a little dizzy?" She laughs it off and pulls me over to the bumper cars._

_ "Ella, I went to your funeral today." I whispered. I looked all around and I recognized this place, but it wasn't home in Mystic Falls._

_ "Where are we?" I watched the people pass by, people I knew the names of, but I had not seen them at the funeral today, and almost everyone in town had come._

_ "We're at home, in Nashville…Hayley do you feel alright?" She grabbed my elbow and turned me around, but now she was nothing but a skeleton. Bugs started to crawl from her empty eye sockets and crawl over her bones. I screamed and pulled my arm away from her. I ran, pushing my way through people who obviously did not see the skeleton behind me. I stopped behind a carnival tent to catch my breath. I peaked from behind it but saw nothing. I sighed in relief and turned back to come face to face with her. Her skeletal hands gripped hard onto my shoulders_

_ "You must choose which one: the reality or the dream." I screamed as I looked into the dark holes where her eyes used to be._

I jolted awake, eyes staring at the ceiling. It was morning. My heart beat erratically as I put my hands over my face. I turned over to come face to face with none other than Damon, who was still snoring softly. I squeaked a little then held my breath. He was out. I prayed to God that I had clothes on but I knew my answer before I looked under the covers. I sighed as I remembered last night; regret not being the only thing I was feeling. I slowly slipped the sheets from the bed and wrapped them around me. I grabbed my bra and underwear. I saw a pile of clothes sitting on the floor in front of the dresser and grabbed a pair of black sweats and a dark blue cotton shirt. I tip toed to the bathroom, but I heard steps on the floor. I tried to make it in the bathroom before whoever it was caught me, but with no such luck.

"Hayley?" Stefan gasped. I froze; my eyes closed in embarrassment and I turned around sheepishly.

"The one and only." I gripped the clothes tighter to my chest and almost laughed at Stefan's shocked face.

"Please don't tell Elena." I begged. He clenched his jaw and his hands balled into fists.

"I'm going to kill him. He knows you're off limits and he took advantage of you last night."

"Now hold on, what do you mean I'm off limits? And I'm pretty sure I knew what I was doing last night, drunk or not." I grabbed his arm to stop him from going into Damon's room. I became very aware that I was naked…and cold.

"Now if you will excuse, I don't think I'm dressed for polite company." I slipped into the bathroom before he could say anymore. I set the clothes on the counter and turned the shower on. I peeled the bandages off my hand and saw the gashes from when I punched the mirror. I threw them away and entered the hot streams of water.

I was rinsing out the shampoo in my hair when I heard the door to the bathroom click.

"Can I join you?" I heard Damon ask.

"No, I plan on getting clean in this shower." I squirted conditioner onto my hand and massaged it through my hair. I smelled my hand and shivered. I was going to smell like Damon. Oh yes.

"Well that's no fun." He mused. The glass partition started to open but I held my hand up to keep it shut.

"Seriously Damon, I need to shower so I can go home and apologize to Jenna and Elena. Now will you please leave?" I didn't take my hand away from the glass until his shadow moved away.

"Come one Hayley, if I see anything I haven't before I'll throw a dollar at it." I laughed, despite the seriousness I had directed at him moments before.

"Leave." I said as I washed my body. I heard the door click and I finished my shower. I locked the door before I toweled dry. I looked around in the cabinets but didn't see any bandages or anything. I sighed and then looked around for a toothbrush. I saw Damon's and shrugged. _What's the worst that can happen? We've already slept together._

I winced at the thought. My wet hair hung in tangles that cascaded down my back I turned towards the pile of clothes, but saw them missing. I paused, not sure what to do, but I mustered up the courage to just go back in Damon's room and demand for my clothes. I wrapped the towel around my body, glad that it came down to mid-thigh.

I stuck my head out the bathroom door, and took a deep breath. I closed the door to the bathroom and walked the short distance down the hall to where Damon's bedroom was.

I opened the door and saw Damon and Stefan conversing by the window. Both of them turned to look at me with very different faces. Stefan's was alarmed, but Damon's was amused.

"Can I have my clothes back?" Damon shook his head. I sighed and went over to his dresser.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

"Well since you though it was funny to come into the bathroom and steal my underwear and stuff, I'm borrowing a pair of yours. Turn around." I looked and both men complied. I slid the boxer briefs-black, of course- up my legs and snapped the elastic at my waist. Whoa, the freedom in the nether regions. I turned back and grabbed another pair of sweats and a shirt.

"Can I at least have my, um, bra?" I asked, my cheeks going pink. Damon swirled around and grinned. In his hands was my black strapless bra. My cheeks reddened as I stormed over to him and snatched it away. I left the room and got dressed in the hallway, hurriedly. I wrapped my hair up in the elastic around my wrist and hung the towel on the door knob.

"Stefan? Hayley?" I head Elena call from the front door. I walked down the stairs and she rushed over to me, all concerned and big sister like.

"Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?" She touched my arms and face tentatively. I shook her off.

"I'm fine. Can we go home?" She looked confused.

"Elena, what a pleasant surprise." Damon called from the landing on the stairs. My face reddened and we turned to him.

"Hayley you look very nice in my clothes. You things are in the dryer. They should be done right about now. You take very long showers. Now if you would have-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." My sister snarled. I put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small smile. Now that the liquor had left my system, I felt the pain in my hand.

"Let's go home, yeah?" She nodded and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"See you later girls!" Damon chirped from where he stood at the stairs. I threw a sarcastic salute over my shoulder as the front door closed behind us.

"So what did you and Damon do last night?" She asked when were finally on our way home. I froze at the memory of last night. The loud breathing and the feeling of skin on skin…it was so hot.

"Nothing, we just…hung out." I cleared my throat and shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"What do you mean, hung out?" She asked. I could see her keep glancing in my direction. I tried not to twist my hands around, but it was a nervous habit. Elena noticed.

"What's wrong? Did he hurt you?" She asked again.

"No! No, he definitely did not hurt me, and if he did then he can hurt me anytime he wants." I murmured that last part.

"What was that?" I shook my head and felt my cheeks grow hotter by the second, just thinking about last night. I tried to shake it off, but I couldn't.

"Hayley, please tell me. I was so worried about you. You were so drunk and it was like when mom and dad—"

"We slept together." The car swerved and I screamed. Elena pulled over to the shoulder and sat in complete shock. I shied away from her stare and wanted to melt to the ground.

"You did not." She accused. I nodded and she threw her head back onto the headrest.

"I can't believe this. My little sister is sleeping with my boyfriend's dangerous older brother." She said.

"Hey, it's not an on going thing, you know. We're not "sleeping together". We've slept together. There's a difference." I said. I crossed my arms and took my hair out of the bun when I saw the brush sitting in Elena's purse. I brushed through my tangles and braided it.

"No, this won't be the only time. He's going to try to corner you every chance he can get. I don't want him to hurt you."

"Why do you keep saying that? Damon isn't going to hurt me!"

"That's what Caroline said" She shot back. I remember when Elena had told me that she had found bruises all over Caroline.

"I'm not Caroline." I said softly. We pulled up to the house and I got out. Before we reached the door, she grabbed a hold of my hand.

"I know. I know that you believe that he won't hurt you…but you don't know Damon." She said.

"And you do? And it's not like I'm in love with him. It was one night and it was just one time. Trust me; I am in not in any way ready to get in a relationship." I opened the door and went straight to the fridge. I grabbed the milk and hunted down a bowl, a spoon, and some Cocoa Krispies. I put the milk back and took my cereal to my room. The door was fixed and when I went inside I saw that the mess had all been cleaned up. I sighed in controlled sadness as I looked at the horse figurine that was glued back together and sitting on my dresser. I wiped away a tear and ate my cereal. I turned on the TV and sat there watching George Lopez reruns all day, my thoughts turning back to the previous night the whole time.


	6. Chapter 6

I turned off the TV and checked the time on my phone.

"Oh my God, it's ten o'clock?" I grabbed the cereal bowl and headed down the stairs. The boxers swished deliciously over my thighs with every step I took. I rinsed the bowl out in the sink and smiled at Jenna when she walked in.

"So…you slept with Damon?" I groaned. She was tossing an orange back and forth and smiling at me playfully.

"Elena?" She nodded and busted up laughing.

"She has such a big mouth. Look, I wanted to apologize for last night. I shouldn't have taken you car, drank your wine, or destroyed my room." She nodded and wrapped and arm around my shoulders as we walked up the stairs.

"You know, I kind of expected it. The same thing happened when your parents passed away." I nodded and gave her a squeeze when we reached my room.

"Night." I closed the door. I went over to my dresser and picked out a tank top and some shorts. I had lifted my shirt over my shoulders when I heard a wolf whistle.

"I knew I got here on time." I whirled around and Damon sat on my bed, nonchalantly watching me dress.

"What are you doing here?" I grabbed the tank top and pulled it on quickly.

"Well I came to see the show? I would like a refund though. You didn't even get all the way naked!" He exclaimed disapprovingly. I shook my head, exasperated with him.

"What are you doing here? And how did you get in?" I felt exposed so I grabbed a shirt of Jeremy's and threw it on. I sat on my desk and started to take the braid out of my hair.

"The window." He smirked. I rolled my eyes and ran the comb through my hair.

"Is your natural hair straight like Elena's?" He asked. I shook my head. I set the elastic down and walked over to my closet.

"My hair is curly." I pulled out a sweater and a shirt. I laid them over my chair and started looking for a pair of pants.

"You really don't look anything like Elena. Your hair, you face, your…body type." He smirked and winked at me, causing me to blush.

"Well, that's what fraternal means." I said. I rolled my eyes and started to look for other ways to keep my eyes off of him.

"Elena is slimmer."

"Are you calling me fat?" I accused. His eyes got big and he got of the bed, shaking his head.

"No, God no, I'm not stupid."

"So you're saying if you were stupid, you would be calling me fat?" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No."

"What are you trying to say?" I tried to fight the smirk that was forcing its way onto my face. He saw and in a second we were laying on my bed.

"I was trying to say that you, dear Hayley, are much sexier." He planted small kissed down my neck. My breathing hitched and he smiled against my skin. I shoved him off of me and rolled off my bed.

"Stop." He smirked and was in front of me.

"How can you move so fast?" I asked. His eyebrows furrowed.

"Vampire, remember?" I laughed.

"Yeah, okay. I think it's just a side effect of the— are you serious?" In a moment, Damon had me pinned to the door, my hands above my head. Black veins crawled from his eyes and from his mouth protruded fangs, actual fangs. I screamed and tried to move.

"Hayley, calm down. Calm down." Damon let go of my wrists and I shoved him away from me, hitting him in his chest.

"Get away from me!" I kept hitting him, but he once again had my wrists in his hands.

"Listen, this isn't the first time I told you." I stopped, my chest heaving from the breath I had expelled from when I screamed. I shut my eyes and I remember a conversation quite like this one.

"Okay, you can let me go now." I whispered. I was so scared; my heart was beating out of control.

"What if I don't want to?" He replied. I shook my head and tugged on my wrists.

"You are not in a state to be flirting with me, Damon." I crawled into my bed and put my hands to my temples, gently massaging them.

"I just…can you leave?" I looked up to see Damon with this blank expression. His eyes betrayed him, and the look in them was one of hurt.

"Are you scared of me?" I knew I wasn't, but there was just so much going through my mind. At that moment, I remembered the dream and shuddered.

"Yes." I whispered. He nodded and like that he was gone. I sighed and turned the light off. I curled myself around one of my pillows and shut my eyes, praying for a good night of sleep.

"What's with the sweater?" Elena asked as she walked into the bathroom. Jeremy and I were brushing our teeth. She grabbed her toothbrush and squirted toothpaste on it. I spit and rinsed my mouth out. I shrugged.

"Why? Does it look bad?" She shook her head.

"No, I just…you haven't worn it since before Mom and Dad—"

"Can we please just stop? My best friend passed away and you guys keep bring up mom and dad. It's really not helping, you know?" I left and snatched my bag from my room before going downstairs to grab a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Are you going to walk to school or did you want to take my car?" Jenna asked. Before I could answer, my phone rang. I pulled it out and saw Damon's name flashing on my screen. I bit my lip, not knowing if I should answer it or not. I sighed and clicked accept.

"Hello?"

"Are we good?" He asked. I nodded, but then realized we were on the phone.

"Um, yeah, we're good. I just…last night was unexpected." I waved to Jenna, who threw me her keys and winked, and left.

"Sorry about that. Hey, how about we get a quickie in and you can have a great start to your day?" I scoffed.

"How about not?"

"But I really just want to tear that sweater off of you." I gasped and looked around. There Damon was, leaning against the hood of his car, phone to his ear, looking like he owned the damn place. I hung up and he looked offended.

"You hung up on me? And I thought we were closer than that." I shook my head and opened the door to Jenna's car.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I threw my bag into the passenger seat.

"Well, I thought that's what friends with benefits did for each other? Give them…benefits." He scoped out my body and I rolled my eyes. I shut the door and crossed my arms.

"Look, what we did that night of Ella's funeral, that was nice—"

"Nice? I rocked your world." He scoffed and set his hands on my hips. I shook him off and backed away.

"It won't happen again. I'm not your little slut bag." In a second he had my pinned against the side of the car.

"I never said that." He growled, the veins growing dark under his eyes.

"Well, you're pretty much asking me to sleep with you whenever you want."

"Not just whenever I want, whenever you want too." He said, pleading his case.

"Goodbye Damon." I opened the car door and got in. He closed the door, but not before he leaned in a kissed my cheek.

"I'll see you after school then?" I shook my head and back out of the driveway.

"No, you won't." I called before speeding down the street, away from him and my growing feelings.

"I'm sorry for this morning." Elena said as her and Stefan sat next to me at lunch. I nodded and took a bite out of my salad. I made a face and set it back down on my tray.

"How are you today, Hayley?" Bonnie asked as she sat down on my other side. I nodded and she set a hand on my shoulder. A jolt of electricity shot threw my whole body and warmth settled in the pit of my stomach. Bonnie took her hand back and fumbled with her things.

"I'm sorry, I got to…I've got…I got to go." I blinked and she was gone.

"That was weird. I've only seen her act like that with Damon." Elena said. Speaking of Damon…

"Stefan, are you a vampire too?" Elena choked on her water. I hit her back a few times then turned expectantly towards Stefan.

"Yes. Did Damon tell you?" I nodded.

"He told me last night," I caught sight of their questioning eyes," don't ask. I freaked out but then I remembered that he had told me before. Elena did you know?" She nodded and I sagged in relief.

"Okay. Well, then now I know. What I want to know is why I have all these different memories."

"What do you mean?" Elena asked. I told her about the memories I had seen when I was in a coma. She looked lost, but Stefan didn't.

"It may be memories leaking in from another life." He offered. I shook my head.

"No it's different. Plus I think the other memories are from a different time period, like the future. I have memories from New Year's Eve of 2013." I twisted my hands underneath the table. The bell rang and I grabbed my bag.

"I'll see you guys later." I mumbled, shook up over the conversation. I grabbed books from my locker and head to Spanish.

"Hayley, do you have a minute?" I jumped and held my chest as I looked over at Bonnie, who hadn't been there before I closed my locker.

"Oh my God, Bonnie, you scared me!" She apologized and I slipped my bag over my head.

"Sorry about earlier, but I just wanted to know if you wanted to come hang out with me? I'm going to my Grams and I know that you like going over there…?" She looked so hopeful and I felt bad if I shot her down, yet I felt like I was betraying Ella.

"Bonnie, I don't know—"

"Oh please, Hayley! We haven't hung out in forever." She grabbed my hand and once again there was electricity there.

Okay." I nodded and she yelped with happiness. "Let me just take Jenna's car back."

"Okay, yeah I'll just follow you home." I nodded and we went our separate ways, to our respective cars. Why was Bonnie so adamant about us hanging out?

**Okay! So six chapters in and I'm feeling very happy with this story1 thank you so much to all my reviewers, and I hope I can live up to your guys expectations! This will be the last chapter until next Saturday, so I thought I would give you this until then! I really, really, enjoy writing this story and I can't wait until we get deeper in!**

** P.S. Hayley's last two outfits are on my Polyvore, the link is on my profile!**


	7. Chapter 7

I jogged into the house and set Jenna's keys by the couch. I walked into my room and immediately stripped off my jeans. I pulled a pair of leggings on and my moon shoes. I was taking my hair out of the braid when the window opened and Damon slid in.

"Can you please use the door?" I asked as I ruffled my hair with my fingers. I saw Damon move towards my in the mirror and take my hair in his hands. He ran his fingers through it, slightly tugging at the ends, making my knees turn to jelly.

"Now what fun would that be?" He asked, one eyebrow shooting up. I took my hair from his hands and gathered it up into a bun on the top of my head. I transferred my wallet, phone and house keys to a smaller purse and walked out.

"Damon, will you leave me alone, for Christ's sake." I jogged down the stairs and out the door, motioning him to follow me. Bonnie pulled up just as I closed the door, as did Elena.

"Good Lord, give me strength." I muttered as I made my way to Bonnie's car.

"Witch." He greeted Bonnie.

"Vampire." She scowled at him. I shook off the shock from the revelation of Bonnie's supernatural status and opened the door.

"Can you handle a few hours without hounding me?" I asked before throwing my bag down on the floor of the car. He tapped his chin, looking genuinely thoughtful.

"No. What time should I pick you up?"

"I'll be taking her home, Damon." Bonnie said from the driver's seat. He rolled his eyes at her and wrapped an arm around my waist.

"A goodbye kiss?" He asked his lips puckering and his eyes closing. I smacked his cheek twice before wriggling out of his grasp and into the car.

"Drive." I begged and snickered at Damon's annoyed face.

"Why did he ask you for a goodbye kiss?" Bonnie said,

"We slept together and now he thinks we're going to shack up whenever he feels like it." I said nonchalantly, hoping that she wouldn't quite hear the words.

"You did what?" We were stopped at a red light and she looked at me, horrified.

"In my defense, I was very drunk and very messed up. It was the night of Ella's funeral." I said quietly. The light turned green and we progressed.

"About that, I'm sorry. How're you holding up?" She questioned. I nodded.

"It still hurts, I mean it's technically only been a week since she passed, and a few days since I found out." We got out of the car when she pulled up to her grandmother's house. I smiled, excited to see Sheila again. Bonnie unlocked the door.

"Grams!" She called out. "I'm here and I have someone for you!" I laughed as her grandmother poked her head out from the kitchen.

"Is that little Hayley Gilbert? Well, she's not so little anymore!" I nodded and she came up and hugged me. As soon as her arms were around me, the electricity from earlier and the warmth returned. Sheila pulled back with a gasp.

"Okay, Bonnie. Now I understand." She grabbed our hands and tugged us towards the kitchen. On the table lay old books of all sizes. I took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the old texts. I smiled at Bonnie, who had done the same.

"Sit girls, I have found something that you should see." We took a set on either side of her and watched s she pulled a really old picture out from one book. In the picture stood five people, three of whom made my eyes almost pop out of my head.

"This picture is dated back to 1864…yet there is Damon, Stefan and my sister." I whispered. A young black woman stood on one side of my sisters in a plain dress and apron. On Damon's side, there was another woman who wore a dress much like my sister's, but this woman's was not as big. She looked a lot like Elena, but she was curvier. Her hair was more of a just rolled out of bed look, while Elena's looked more like the one's you get when you use curlers on your hair. That woman looks like me.

"That woman looks like me. But why does that woman look exactly like Elena?" I said. I looked at Bonnie, who was just as shocked as I was.

"That's right. That woman on young Damon Salvatore's arm is your ancestor. Amelia Grove. The family was close to the Salvatore's; their fathers went to college together. The Grove family lived in Grove Hill, the neighboring town who was named for the Groves." She totally disregarded my question about Elena.

"Grove Hill? I didn't know that the town was as old as ours." Bonnie said. Sheila shook her head.

"They don't teach that in many history books, except their own. It's been a relatively quiet town since its inception. Now the Grove's were mysterious, secretive people. Young Amelia Grove was their only child. Bonnie you recognize Emily, in this picture, yes? She's not the only witch." It took a few moments for those words to sink in before I got it. I gasped and a knickknack flew off the shelf above us, shattering against the opposite wall. I looked at the figurine and then back at Sheila.

"Did you do that?" I asked. She smirked and shook her head.

"You're powers are coming in. They're a little late, but there's nothing wrong with that. Now before Emily belonged to Katherine Pierce, the one that looks like your sister, her family belonged to the Grove family. It was Emily's mother who awakened the witch strain hidden in the Grove's DNA. Amelia was the first to learn.

"So…my ancestor learned witchcraft from yours?" Sheila nodded.

"Amelia grew very strong, very fast. She and Emily were the best of friends before Amelia's father sold the Bennetts. She began her very own grimiore, which I think I have, hold on a minute." She abruptly got up and left the room.

"This is so cool! We're witches!" Bonnie exclaimed. I nodded and put my hands on my face. In response, another figurine flew off the shelf.

"Get your emotions under control girl. You're going to smash all my things before you leave this house yet." Sheila said as she came back with a book in her hands. It was about the size of a composition book, a tad smaller, and about as thick as one of the Harry Potter's.

"What is that?" I asked.

"A grimiore, girl. Pay attention." She said. She set it in front of me and told me to place my hands on the front. As soon as I did, warmth ran through my fingers, there was a click, and the book began to open.

"Whoa." Bonnie said with me. Inside the book, I could make out words about spells for fire, water, wind, levitation…almost anything you could think of!

"This is where Amelia wrote all of her spells, every single one she did. The book adds pages with every witch it is passed on to, but no one has practiced magic in your family for a long time because the last entries, as you can see, are a woman's named Irene, and that dates back to 1965." I looked through the book.

"Try one."

"I don't need a wand?" I asked. Bonnie laughed, but Sheila looked slightly annoyed, even though there was a small smile on her face.

"No, but you will need this." She produced a small, silver necklace from the pocket of her blouse.

"It's beautiful." I said as I traced the designs with my pinky finger. The pendant was about the size of a half dollar. On the face was a majestic looking bird spreading its wings. Around the chest of the bird, a banner with the words _Contra Fidem et Honorum Aluid _engraved in the banner. In my mind, the translation was made as loyalty and honor before anything else.

"Do you know what kind of bird that is?" I asked Sheila.

"That's a swan. This is the Grove crest.

"It was Amelia's. That necklace is a symbol of your power as a Grove witch. Grove witches are very rare, so anyone from the magical community who see's that necklace will know exactly who you are. It's very important that you learn how to protect yourself."

"Will they try to hurt me?" I asked. She paused, and then nodded slowly.

"In the Wiccan calendar, there are certain holidays that hold certain…values." She said cautiously. "On these holidays, it is possible for one witch to obtain the powers of another." I was slightly interested.

"How would they be able to do that? A spell? A ritual?" I was slightly intrigued, not to go out and do it, but because that all this was possible. Who would have thought, me and Elena, witches!

"Murder."

"I have got to admit, I didn't expect that one." I muttered as I sat back in my chair. I flipped through some of the pages, relishing the feel of the paper between my fingers.

"Can she train with us, Grams? She doesn't have a mentor." Bonnie quipped. I looked over at her and gave her a smile. I couldn't believe that I would be learning witchcraft! I would have to tell Ella when I get— oh.

"I think that can be arranged. Let's get started." She said.

For the rest of the night, Sheila taught Bonnie and me how to steel our mind and keep our emotions in check. She would inflict emotions on us and we would have to keep them controlled: the fewer objects that flew around the room, the better.

"I am exhausted." I said as we walked to her car.

"I agree. I can't wait until we can learn the bigger spells. Grams says that learning to control your emotions and channel them is the first step. And we did amazing today! Faster than she thought we would learn!" She talked animatedly all the way home. I was happy to be with someone other than Elena, don't get me wrong she's a doll, but I still have this whole where my friendship with Ella sat.

"Me too, I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, watching as she pulled to the curb in front of my house.

"Of course, do you want a ride?" I stopped myself from being rude, and thought about it. Ella was the only person besides Elena that I ever really hung out with. I had to share Bonnie with Elena when we were younger, and with Ella, I could say she was all mine. Now I had something to bond with someone over, and I knew Ella would want me to continue making friends.

"Yeah, that'd be great." I squeezed her hand and left. I opened the door to see Elena and Stefan standing over the sink, both of their back turned to me.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Their back straightened and I could hear them whispering.

"Nothing how was your day with Bonnie?" Elena asked. I got super excited.

"I'm a witch!" I said happily.


	8. Chapter 8

"Watch this." I turned to the fruit bowl on the table and concentrated on the orange rising out of the bowl and into my waiting hand, and after a few seconds, the orange wavered then zoomed straight into my hand. I spun around and held the orange out to Stefan and Elena proudly.

"Sheila taught us today that as long we concentrated and channeled our emotions, we could do anything!" I smiled, but the smile faded at Stefan's face.

"Stefan…what's wrong?" Elena turned towards him. He shook his head then kissed Elena's forehead.

"I've got to go." He grabbed his jacket and left without another word. Elena frowned and then looked at her hands.

"Hey, maybe he forgot something with Damon. Or he's got school work." I tried. She sighed and looked up at me, confused.

"I don't know about this Hayley." I grimaced. Why was she the only one that could have all the cool things? The hot vampire babe of a boyfriend, everybody likes her, future Miss Mystic, but I can't have powers?

"Wouldn't that make me a witch too?" She asked. I thought about it, and it made sense.

"Then you could come with me and Bonnie to training sessions!" I tried to keep my tone cheery, but I could tell she was getting frustrated.

"No, I don't think so." She moved around me, but I caught her hand.

"What's the matter?" I asked. She removed herself from my grip.

"Bonnie has touched me on many occasions, but nothing happened like when she touched you at lunch today."

"Bonnie and I have hugged before today, but none of that has happened. Maybe your powers haven't come in yet. Oh, this means Jeremy is a witch too! Or is it wizard? Warlock, maybe?" I clapped my hands, but my smile dropped once I saw Elena biting her lip.

"Come on Lena, be happy for me! After everything bad, something good has finally happened to me: Mom and Dad dying, Ella dying…now I have something to keep my mind off the pain. Don't I deserve that?" I asked.

"I lost Mom and Dad too." She said. I threw my hands up in the air and then raked them through my hair.

"You are not even getting the point. I don't have some super sweet, super sexy vampire boyfriend that can help the pain go away. I sit in my room all night, and I think about the ball of pain that sits in my chest. When they died, Jeremy had his drugs and you had your writing, but I had nothing. I had a whole lot of miserable nights. You know, I see people come up to you in the hallways and ask how you are, but I don't see anyone come up to me. People are always asking if you are okay, but then there's me: the forgotten Gilbert. And these powers…they give me strength. I've just learned about them, but I feel a whole lot better now. Why can't I have just this one thing?" I stared at her, but she wouldn't meet my gaze. "Everything has always been about you, and I had never had a problem with that. I kept in the background and I let you shine, because I loved the way you handled it, I loved the way you loved it. I love you, so I let you be the center of attention for our whole lives. But now, all I'm asking is that I have something that makes me special too." I walked past her and up to the room, my emotions reeling. I stopped in front of the door to my room, taking deep breaths through my nose and out my mouth, calming down. After three, I felt the feelings subside and I deemed it safe to enter my room.

"I thought you would never join me." A voice from the bed said.

"Damon now is not the right time." I said. I tore off my sweater and threw it in the hamper. I didn't even care he was in there while I quickly took off my shirt and pulled on a tank top.

"Are you trying to turn me on?" he asked and then arms were around my waist. He kissed down my neck and my shoulder and all the tension in my body melted away. I leaned back into him and tilted me head. He kissed back up to my ear then turned my around and pressed his mouth to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back. He took my hair out of the elastic and it fell like a shower down my back. His hands slid up my harms until one cupped my cheek and the other nestles itself in the curls at the nape of my neck, slightly tugging. I couldn't help but moan into Damon's mouth, allowing him entrance. We wrestled for dominance until Damon threw my softly on the bed and began to once again kiss down my neck. His hands moved slowly down my waist and he fingered the hem of my tank top. Before I knew it, he had taken it off. Little warning bells went off in my head. He moved his lips back to mine and I had to use all the resolve in my body to break away.

"Stop." I breathed. Damon took the opportunity to lightly suck the skin under my jaw.

"No." He said. I took a deep breath and tried to push him off of me. He wouldn't budge and I almost gave up when he pressed all of his weight down on me. I could feel every line of him and it was a wonderful sensation.

"You really don't want me to stop, do you?" He whispered in my ear. He trailed little kisses down my neck and to my shoulder, his mouth moving the straps of my bra down.

"I would really like it if you stopped." He growled in frustration and got off of me.

"You know what you are? You're just a tease. How are you going to let me get that far into it and then say stop? Please, it's not like you haven't done this before." He glared at me and then he was gone. My mouth dropped to the floor at his words. I grabbed the tank top from the floor and put it on. I tried to stop the tears that threatened to flow from my eyes, but I couldn't. They fell slowly down my cheeks and I hadn't been fast enough to wipe them away when Elena came in.

"What's wrong?" I shook my head, but the tears came faster. She came over to me and laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Damon?" She asked. I nodded slightly and she hugged me. I sniffed and wrapped my arms around her. Even if we had just gotten done fighting, I would always turn to my sister to heal me of my boy troubles.

"What happened?" She asked as she led me to my bed. I didn't want to tell her, but ended up confessing everything.

"I really don't want to say I told you so but…" I laughed.

"Say it."

"I told you so." She quickly said. We laughed and hugged once more.

"We good?" She asked. I nodded. She kissed my forehead and left. My phone vibrated in my purse and I grabbed it. A text from Damon?

_I'm sorry._

I sighed and plugged my phone into the charger. My skin was on fire from his kisses, my heart hurt from his words, and my cheeks flamed from his apology. What was this guy doing to me? I closed my eyes and promptly fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

"You girls have improved a lot in the last few days, you should be proud of yourselves." Bonnie's grandma said as we all sat down to rest. Sweat beaded across my forehead from the effort of lifting the couch and setting it back down.

"Grams, can you teach us that aneurism trick, the one against vampires?" I picked my head up and looked at Bonnie. What was she talking about?

"There is a spell that can basically set fire to a vampire's mind. It's a good thing to know when you're, you know, a witch. Especially since the vampires are returning to Mystic Falls." Sheila nodded along, agreeing with Bonnie's words.

"Stand up, Hayley." I pulled myself from the overstuffed armchair I was resting in, and she began to instruct me on the spell.

"So I just picture an actual fire encircling their brain?" I asked. Sheila nodded and I grabbed my bag. It was almost time for school.

"Thank you so much, Sheila, it's been a great help." I hugged her. She nodded and pulled away.

"Why doesn't Elena come?"

"Elena doesn't think that she's a witch. I just told her that maybe her powers are coming in late but…Sheila, why did that woman, Katherine, look like Elena?" She didn't answer me as she ushered me and Bonnie out of the house.

"That was weird." Bonnie muttered as we got in her car and drove to the school.

We pulled in and hopped out right to see Caroline.

"Party at the Mystic Grill tonight, see you there?" She abruptly walked away and Bonnie and I shared a look.

"I'll go if you go?" I asked. She nodded and we made our way to our first class. I slept through English and half of Chemistry, but decided to pay attention in History. Half way through that class, I knocked out.

Each and every time I took a nap, a memory displayed in my mind, yet these memories did not contain any of my family or friends. They were of a woman with long brown hair and grey eyes like mine, a man with sandy blond hair and warm brown eyes, and a young boy with the man's blonde hair and the woman's steely eyes. It was evident that these people were my family. The memories were usually of family vacations: Disney World, the Grand Canyon, day trips around downtown Nashville.

The last one was that of a funeral. I remember the smell of rain in the air as the pastor lowered the lid of the casket on the woman with my eyes. I remember the ache in my chest when I went back to school and everyone asked me how I was.

"Come on Miss Gilbert, school has ended." My Spanish teacher tapped my shoulder. I nodded and left the classroom looking for Bonnie.

"Are you okay? You've slept through all you're classes today and I didn't see you at lunch.

"Yeah, I was sleeping in the library." I muttered as we reached my locker. I traded books and grabbed a couple pens.

"Why are you so tired? Is it the morning session with Grams? Because I can tell her that it's draining you, I mean, Hayley you look like hell." I nodded my thanks, but shook my head.

"No, it's different, and I have these dreams, but they're like memories." I whispered.

"Okay…so?"

"Well, they're not my memories. I mean, they are, I feel like they are, but they don't consist of anybody here in Mystic Falls. It's like I've lived a whole different life and it's leaking through." I shook my head and shot her a smile as we got into her car.

"It's probably nothing." She agreed and we drove home in silence. When we pulled up to my house I sighed and told Bonnie I would see her at the party.

'Should I pick you up?"

"No, I'll probably go with Elena." She nodded and left. I opened the door and scoped out the living room and kitchen to see if anyone else was home. There was no call

"Wow." I said softly when I opened the door. Lilies were literally everywhere. Dozens of bouquets were scattered across my room. I touched the petals of one and smelled them. I sighed and turned around, running straight into Damon.

"Forgive me?" He asked a smirk on his face. I frowned. This behavior was not typical of Damon. I mean, getting a girl flowers?

"You know, this is really cliché?" I asked and set my bag down. I moved the lilies off my bed and set them on the desk. There were tons of them around the room and the smell was intoxicating.

"I wanted to say sorry for last night…I was very frustrated." He grumbled and ran a hair through his black hair, causing it to stick up in disarray. Oh how I longed to run my hands through those black waves.

"That was evident." I turned to my closet and tried to pick out an outfit. Time to spice it up! I winced and remembered every party I had gone to with Ella. Those would be her exact words before we raided our closets. I sighed and picked out a floral body-con dress.

"Are going to except my apology?" He asked. I ignored him and looked thoughtfully at the design.

"Hayley." He lifted my chin up by one of his fingers and pressed his mouth to mine. I scowled and shoved him off of me.

"Stop! Why do you always ruin it? Why can't we be just friends?" I asked. I was furious. He can't just call me a tease, and even though I had very strong feelings for him and I wanted to jump his bones every time he did his little eye thing, where he scans your body and lifts an eyebrow quizzically. It got my heartbeat racing every single time. I laid a hand to my chest and took a deep breath.

"You want this, Hayley. Just stop fighting it." He said as he cupped my face, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs.

"This is wrong. I know you Damon; you're going to use me like you used Caroline. I'm going to have feelings for you and you won't even think about returning them. I can't Damon." I felt the tears build in my eyes and the lump form in my throat.

I gathered all my courage and spoke very quietly. The tears were spilling over my cheeks before I even started talking.

"Everyone leaves me Damon. I'm trying to put walls up to protect myself, but you always come in and destroy them, every damn time. How am I to protect myself when every time you look at me, my pulse starts to race and my heart thuds in my ears? How am I supposed to feel when you move on to another girl, but I've already invested my trust and…love into you?" I shook his hands off and wiped my face.

"Hayley…" I looked up at him, and he was completely speechless. I opened the door to my room.

"Please, Damon, unless you are here to stay and take me seriously, and not as just a hook up…I need you to leave. I need you to leave now so I can save myself the heartbreak." I looked at him as he stuck his hands into his pockets. He didn't move.

"Don't you dare stand there and pretend to contemplate it. You have to go." I was whispering now, my voice hoarse from the emotions I was trying to hold back. My face was red from the embarrassment of revealing my feelings to him. He quickly covered his face with a smirk and walked out, brushing past me on the way.

I sighed and closed the door. I heard the front door slam and I slid down the door. After taking a few deep breaths, I grabbed the towel I had used last night and headed to the bathroom start getting ready.


	10. Chapter 10

"Whoa, Hayley. You look amazing!" Bonnie squealed. I twirled in a little circle, excited that she thought I looked good. This was Ella's dress, I almost couldn't wear it. It took a small anxiety attack and a pep talk from Elena. Here I was though, despite everything.

"Your hair looks crazy sexy all down and natural like that. Major man candy will hit on you all night." She said as we walked up to the bar. We ordered two Sprites and watched the throng of people.

"So, what is the reason behind this whole thing?" Bonnie asked. I shrugged and she dragged me over to Caroline, Matt and Tyler.

"Hey, Hayley, how are you? I know you and Ella were really close." He asked, looking genuinely concerned. My heart shuddered at the mention of her name and squeezed his hand, shaking my head slightly, signaling my answer. His eyes grew sad. He hugged me.

"So, Hayley are you here with anybody?" Tyler asked. I pointed at Bonnie.

"That's my date. I will not go home with anyone but her." I said and we all laughed at Tyler's face.

"I need a refill, anybody else?" I offered. They all shook their heads and I nodded. I walked towards the bar

"Let me get a shot of Jack." I said, leaning against the counter. He nodded, not even asking for my ID. I hope this party doesn't get busted. He sat it down and I paid with a few bucks. I tipped back the glass and swallowed the smooth liquid. I shivered and slid the glass over. The bartender refilled me and I took another shot.

"Oh hot damn, would you look at those legs." I groaned and turned around. Damon stood about a foot behind me, staring at my body appreciatively. My cheeks reddened and I tugged at the hem of my dress.

"Can you not undress me with your eyes in public?" I asked. Damon sat on the stool next to me. The bartender slid me another shot and I downed it without pause.

"Slow down there tiger. You have to pace yourself. I'll have bourbon, neat. That means no ice." Damon called to the bartender who rolled his eyes at him. Damon received his drink and took a sip, watching me over the rim of his glass.

"Join me?" He asked. I wanted to, oh did I want to sit with him and get drunk off my ass. But I had meant what I said earlier.

"I meant what I said earlier, Damon." I said, voicing my thoughts. He laughed and then grew serious. He was about to say something before a pretty blonde came over to him and started talking to him. I flagged down the bartender who fed me my eighth shot of whiskey. I slid my jacket off my shoulders and lifted my hair off my neck.

"Dear God, what are you doing to me?" Damon muttered. I felt a hand on my thigh and I swatted him away.

"If you can't play nice, then don't play at all." I snapped at him. He winked at me and was about to say something extremely sexual when Sheriff Forbes came up to the blonde, who's name was Lexi, and dug a needle into her.

"What are you doing?" I asked but she disregarded me. I turned back to ask Damon what was going on, but he was gone. I saw Elena and Stefan slip out the back door and decided to follow them. I grabbed my coat and tried to follow them as quickly as possible.

I found them hiding behind the building, watching Lexi attack the police officers. I came just in time to see Damon stake Lexi. I opened my mouth to ask Damon what he was doing, but Stefan had closed his hand over it.

"Hush." He whispered into my ear. I watched as Lexi fell to the floor and Damon walked away. I looked at Stefan who was clearly distraught. His hands left my mouth and he started to walk away.

"Stefan, what are you doing?" Elena asked.

"He killed her. He killed Zack, he killed Tanner, and he turned Vicki. I have to kill him"

"No, you can't do that!" She exclaimed. Her hand closed over my wrist.

"Why are you trying to save him? Elena, he's never gonna change. Don't you see that? You see it, right Hayley? He's never gonna change. I'm sorry" And he did look sorry, which made me sadder.

"I'm not trying to save him; I'm trying to save you. You have no idea what this will do to you. Please, Stefan." She pleaded.

"I have something to say." I said, rather slowly, but neither of them heard me.

"Everywhere that I go, pain and death follow. Damon follows me. No more." He was gone.

"Elena, you have to stop him! He can't kill him, he can't!" She wrapped her arms around me and tried to calm me down.

"No, stop, get off of me. Stefan!" I called but I knew it was hopeless. He probably was already dragging Damon's body into a grave somewhere. I sobbed into my hand, thinking about it. I had tried to save myself from heartbreak, and now he was dead.

"Let's go home." I nodded and she led me to the car. I hiccupped and wrapped my arm around her.

"I love him, Elena. I really do, and I pushed him away. Why do I always fall in love with the guys who don't want me? Remember Joey?" I asked as the tears fell down my face. She laughed a little.

"That was eighth grade!" I sobbed.

"He thought I was too grown up for him! Why am I never enough?" I cried into my hands. I knew I was being dramatic, but with the alcohol in my system and all the grief I was carrying, I cried a lot more than I was used to.

"Joey was an asshole. Isn't he gay now?" She asked. I nodded and laughed and then sobbed again into my hands.

"I turned him gay!" I cried. Elena busted up laughing and I couldn't help but chuckle with her. We laughed the whole way home and up the stairs.

"Where did all these flowers come from?" Elena asked when she opened the door to my bedroom.

"Damon. He asked for forgiveness for last night. And I…I didn't give it to him. He died thinking I hated him." I fell face first and sobbed into one of my pillows. Elena pulled off my boots and jacket. She pulled the covers up over me and tucked me in, like mom used to. She wiped the hair from my face and smiled down at me.

"Why does it hurt so much?" I asked. I settled down into the pillows.

"The pain lets us know that we're alive." She said. She kissed my forehead and got up.

"Everyone always leaves me: Mom and Dad, Ella, Damon…please don't leave me too." She nodded and crawled into bed with me. I fell asleep listening to her breathing. I dreamt of Damon's face, my fingers tracing the angelic planes of his cheek bones. I ran my fingers through his hair and he smiled softly down at me.

I was jolted from the dream by a wicked case of nausea. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom.

"Hayley? Shit." Jeremy asked from the door. He held my hair while I vomited over the toilet. When I was done, I let out a sob. I heard the tap running and there was a cool cloth on my neck. He flushed the toilet as I sat back on my heels.

"Come on." He helped me up by my elbow and handed me my toothbrush. I looked at my reflection. My makeup ran down my face and I had a bit of sick on the side of my mouth. I used the cloth to wipe it away and then brushed my teeth for a good couple of minutes, Jeremy watching me carefully the whole time. I spit and rinsed my mouth. I rinsed the wash cloth out and wiped my face free of makeup.

"Thanks Jer." I smiled at him. He searched my face and wrapped me in a sudden embrace.

"I'm so sorry. You've lost so much and people don't even realize how broken you are inside. I heard Elena talking to Stefan about how Damon left, and I know that you have feelings for him. No one ever looks at you though; no one ever offers you help." He whispered. I nodded and we stayed like that, hugging in the bathroom, for a couple of minutes.

"Thanks Jer. Now go to bed, little kids don't need to be up this late." He rolled his eyes and playfully shoved me. I shut the lights off and turned back to my bedroom. Elena wasn't there and I was wide awake. I fingered the box that I kept the Grove family crest and I decided that I would take Amelia's grimiore out and try a few spells.


	11. Chapter 11

For the rest of the night, I perfected the spells from Amelia's book. I had such control over my levitation that I was able to take all the clothes out of my drawers, fold them and put them back, all without leaving my bed.

I was in the place between sleep and consciousness, when I felt a touch, feather light, across my cheek. I blinked my eyes a few times and almost sobbed in relief.

"Damon." I threw myself at him and he wrapped his arms around me, staggering.

"Whoa there tiger." He murmured. We stood like that for awhile before I pulled back and smiled at him.

"I'm glad that Stefan didn't kill you." He laughed and led me to the bed. We sat down, cross legged, facing each other.

"Stefan couldn't hurt a fly if his life depended on it." He spotted Amelia's grimiore and picked it up.

"What's this?" I took the book from his hands and told him about finding out about me and Elena being descended from witches, but Elena's powers hadn't come in yet, and how I had been practicing. I showed him how I could levitate by emptying my drawers. He tried snatching a pair of my panties out of the air, but they slipped from his grasp at last second. I laughed as I sent them all back to their respective homes.

"Isn't that amazing?" I hugged my knees to my chest, happy with my magic and that Damon and I were actually hanging out without fighting, or kissing, or crying.

"Yeah…but I'm confused." He stroked his chin and he suddenly was at the window.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He flashed to me and kissed my mouth quickly.

"There's something I need to do. I'll see you later." He was gone when I opened my eyes. I sighed and fell back against my pillows. Why is he always so cryptic? But that kiss…it was the most innocent kiss and it made my heart flutter. I smiled at how nice he had been to night and rolled over to see the clock strike six. I sighed and got up to get ready.

"I like you're sweater. Where'd you get it?" Elena asked as I jumped the last stair and entered the kitchen. She was licking her fingers and I smelled syrup.

"Pancakes?" She nodded and handed me a plate. My head filled with the memories of last night and shook my head at them, my stomach turning.

"I think I'll pass. I got sick last night."

"Are you sure you should go to school then?" She came over and felt my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But I'm going to take Jenna's car and stop by the store before school." She nodded and I kissed her cheek and left.

When I got to the main intersection of Mystic Falls, I turned my blinker to go left. I exited Mystic falls and entered Grove Hill. I drove around until I found a small drug store.

"Hello, welcome to Grove Pharmacy, I hope you find what you are looking for." A tired looking woman said. I nodded and traveled down the halls until I found what I needed.

I picked up two different pregnancy tests and carried them to the counter. The woman raised an eyebrow at me and scanned them. I paid and scurried out of the building with my head down. I sat in the car and shoved the plastic bag into my school bag. I pulled out of the parking lot and made my way back to school. I signed in and made my way to my locker. I felt like the _things_ were burning a hole through my bag. I grabbed my history book and walked in, apologizing to the man who sat at Tanner's desk.

"Hayley Gilbert, I presume?" He asked. I nodded as I sat down.

"That presumption is correct. New history teacher?" He nodded and pointed to the board where in blocky letter he had written Alaric Saltzman. I nodded and laid my head down on my book. I closed my eyes and counted back from my last period. I don't know why I thought I was pregnant; I just had this gut feeling in my stomach. Could vampires even have kids? At the thought of telling Damon I was pregnant, the nausea returned. I leapt from my seat and ran out of the room, a hand clasped over my mouth.

I had just made it to the bathroom when the door opened and Elena's voice called out for me.

"In here." I mumbled. I flushed the toilet and got up. I rinsed my mouth out and saw Elena's eyes glue to the ground where my bag had fallen. I saw the little blue boxes peeking out of zipper.

"What are these?" She whispered. I gulped and turned to her. She slipped them out of my bag and read them. She gasped and dropped them. She turned towards me.

"Do you know?" I shook my head. She bent down and picked them up off the ground. I took them from her and she locked the door to the bathroom. I went inside the stall and did what I had to do.

"It says we have to wait five minutes." I whispered as I walked out of the stall. She set a time on her phone as I sat the tests on the counter and Elena looked at me. I could see the fear reflected in my eyes.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. The last person you slept with was Damon, and I don't think vampires can have kids." She wrapped an arm around me and we waited until the timer went off.

"I can't look." I whispered. Elena squeezed my hand and I could feel her trying to give me the strength. I took a breath and squared my shoulders. I looked down at the little windows.

"No." I whispered. I looked at the other one and it confirmed. I dropped them onto the counter and saw Elena in the corner of my eye look at the results.

"They're positive." I nodded and felt woozy.

"Hayeley? Hayles?" Her voice sounded far away as I sunk to the floor. I wasn't ready to have a baby. I was only a junior. These things don't happen to people around here. They don't happen to me.

"Elena." I whispered; pure fear and horror evident in my shaky voice. She wrapped the tests in a paper towel and tossed them and the boxes in the trash.

'We have to get back to class." I nodded and she helped me up. We walked to class, ignoring the looks we received when we entered the room.

"Is everything alright?" Alaric asked. I nodded and I sat down. I needed to tell Damon. I almost laughed but I was afraid I would cry if I did. I pulled my phone out and texted him.

_Be at my house after school, I need to talk to_ _you. _His reply came quick.

_? _I didn't answer and stuck my phone back in my pocket. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. I touched my stomach slightly, wondering how this could ever happen to me.

I opened the door to my room, the smell of lilies still strong in the air. Damon sat at my desk, looking through the drawings and poems Ella had gifted for me.

"I'm having a baby." I blurted when he turned around. His smile fell and he got up quickly, knocking over the chair.

"What do you mean? Who else have you been sleeping with?" He growled. My jaw dropped and I could feel the need to cry. It was almost overwhelming.

"Damon, you are the only person I've had sex with in the last six months." I whispered. He searched my eyes then his gaze dropped to my stomach.

"What are you saying?" he asked. I sighed and took a step towards him, but he backed up, looking like a cornered animal.

"This is your baby, Damon." I said.

"No, that's impossible."

"Well, obviously not." I snapped. I rolled my shoulders and lay down on my bed, my arm thrown over my eyes. I felt the bed dip and Damon picked up my arm.

"What are we going to do?" He asked. My heart broke. He looked so scared, so unsure of what to do. He usually looked so sure of himself, confident in his surroundings.

"I don't know, but Damon, I want you to know that you don't have any obligation—"

"Shut up. Do you know what you're saying?" He asked. I looked at him, confused. I was trying to give him an out.

"I mean, I know I'm the bad guy and everyone hates me, but I'm not a monster. If that baby you are carrying is mine…then I'm going to stick around." He was pacing the room and running his hands through his hair. I could swear he was mumbling to himself.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"No, honestly I'm not. I'm scared. I don't know the first thing about being a father. I didn't really have the greatest model to look up to, you know? I don't even know how to hold a baby! I don't think I've seen one since Stefan was born." He was rambling, and I have to admit, it was kind of cute.

"Stop, Damon." I called. He looked at me, biting his lip. My heart fluttered and he sat on the bed gingerly, taking my hand.

"I can't believe this. Is it safe?" he asked. I didn't even think about that. My mind instantly thought of the birthing scene in Breaking Dawn.

"Oh my God, I didn't even think about it. What if I end up like Bella from Breaking Dawn? How am I going to give birth? How am I going to tell Jenna?"

"How are you going to tell Jenna what?" A voice asked. Jeremy was standing in the doorway.

"You don't look very dead to me." He said to Damon. Damon rolled his eyes.

"You need to tell him. No secrets, okay? I got to go." He kissed my forehead and he walked past Jeremy and out the door.

"Jer…take a seat." I patted the bed next to me. I pulled my knees up under my chin and took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant," I said. His eyes widened in shock, "and Damon is the father." He laughed, but it died when he saw the seriousness on my face.

"How?" I chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"I don't think you need that talk again kid." Elena knocked on the door and entered the room. She completed our circle and we all talked about what the future would consist of.

"I can't believe you're going to have a baby." He said. I nodded and Jenna knocked on the door.

"What's going on in here? Family meeting?"

"I was just telling my siblings that I was having a baby Aunt Jenna." She laughed, but stopped abruptly when she saw the seriousness on our faces.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: I am so very proud of this story and I love all of the reviews so much! Thank you to everyone commenting on the story, sending me PM's and encouraging me. I would like to add that Hayley's main outfits are on my Polyvore, and you can find the link on my profile page:) Thank you once again, all of you. Please enjoy this chapter and I hope to see more reviews and other such niceties:) **

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For the next hour, I sat down while Jenna gave me the whole "responsible adult" speech. How could I have done this? Didn't I know to use protection? Who was the father? How was I going to finish high school?

"Jenna, I just found out this afternoon." I whined. I really didn't need this.

"Who's the dad?" She asked. Before I could say anything, Damon walked in and sat down next to me on the couch.

"That would be me." He said. Her face grew hot and she grabbed him by the ear. I laughed as she pulled him outside.

"What the hell? How old are you, thirty? You took advantage of my niece and now she's pregnant with your baby?"

"Jeez, Jenna, tell the whole neighborhood." I muttered.

"I'm twenty." He said begrudgingly. I laughed because I knew he had to at least be a hundred. Good Lord that sounded bad.

"Oh. Well I expect that you'll be helping Hayley raise the baby? You're going to be a part of its life and not be a dead beat? Because I swear to God, Salvatore, I will find you and—"

"Ok, Jenna, you made your point. Now, leave the poor guy alone, I mean look at him. He's shaking in his boots." I pointed out. She huffed and wrapped an arm around me.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help but be a little disappointed in you Hayley." She kissed my forehead and headed back inside the house. I sighed and saw down on the porch swing.

"You okay?" Damon asked.

"I expected it, but I didn't think it would hurt that bad." I sighed and crossed my legs. I looked up at Damon as he sat down across from me.

"When the baby gets here, how about you move into the boarding house." He said quietly. I was shocked.

"What?" He ran his hands through his hair, which I learned was his nervous habit.

"I mean, it's going to be crowded around here right? And I figured that it would be easier with having the baby around both—"

"Okay." I answer. He sagged with relief. He sat next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"What does this make us?" he whispered. I shrugged, my heart beat started to thud. What did this make me and Damon? Were we together?

"What do you want us to be?" I whispered. I couldn't look at him. I swear to God, I was going to throw up.

"I want us to be…together." He said it so softly that I almost didn't here him. I looked at him and he had a true smile, one I had never seen before. It made my heart skip a beat that smile. One side of his mouth lifted higher than the other, giving him this wonderfully crooked grin that made my blood sing in my veins.

"I would like that very much." I whispered. He lifted my face with his finger, his thumb resting on my chin, and pressed his lips lightly, almost hesitantly, to mine. We kissed for only a second or two, not letting it pass chasteness.

"I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow." I nodded and he kissed me one more time before he got up and drove away. I sighed and leaned back. The door creaked and I smiled.

"You can come out now." I called. Elena peeked out from behind the door.

'I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself…Damon sounded really sincere." She pointed out as she sat down next to me. I leaned my head on her shoulder and nodded.

"Yeah, he did. He wants me to move in with him when the baby gets here."

"I heard. Are you going to do it?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't know about anything anymore. I mean, we're dating vampires and I'm pregnant with a vampire/human hybrid. "

"Calm down, Bella." She joked, but I didn't find it funny.

"What if I die? What if I can't handle giving birth? I mean, so many things go wrong when humans give birth to humans, I'm giving birth to a predator, a hunter…a killer." I ended with a whisper.

"Is that what you think of them?" She asked me. I shook my head.

"No, I think the Salvatore brothers are some of the most…dynamic and interesting people I've ever met. Sure Damon can be aggressive…but I don't think he's a monster." I yawned.

"I'm tired." I stated and rubbed my eyes.

"It's only seven o'clock, plus, Bonnie and Caroline are coming over." I paused.

"Should I tell Bonnie? I mean we're practically together all the time…I feel like I should tell her." At that time, Bonnie pulled up.

"Now's your chance." Elena patted my shoulder and went inside. Bonnie smiled as sat down by me on the porch.

"What's wrong?" She asked. I took a breath and laid a hand gently on my lower abdomen.

"You know, life is really funny sometimes. It takes almost all the people you care about, and then shoves a few more in your life." I was watching my shoes.

"Okay…where is this going?" She asked. I took a deep breath.

"I'm having a baby with Damon. I'm pregnant." Her mouth dropped and she looked horrified.

"How is that even possible?" I shrugged my shoulders and brought my knees up to my chest.

"Bonnie, so much is happening right now, I don't even know what to do with myself. I grin and bear it for Elena and Jeremy's sake, but this is different, because this is real world. What is everyone going to say? I mean, what if the baby grows super fast and in two months I have a little bundle of joy in my lap and I'm a vampire?" I asked. She looked at me, sympathy written all over her face, which irritated me.

"I'm going to handle it. I just don't know how. I guess I just got to soldier on and make the best right? I mean, I got Damon and everything."

"Damon knows?" She asked.

"Yeah, he was the second to find out. Only you, Damon, Elena, and Jenna know. I know I shouldn't be but…under all the fear and worry, I'm kind of excited." I grinned sheepishly and was surprised to see her grin too.

"It is cool. I mean, babies are so cute!" We giggled and went inside to help Elena with dinner.

When Caroline got there, she and Bonnie got into a small argument about this ugly crystal necklace. How it belonged to Damon and he wanted it back. I was confused because I had no idea what she was talking about. I decided I would not tell Caroline about the baby. When Caroline finds the necklace in Bonnie's bag, Elena begins to talk about a ghost. I was confused. I had been spending a lot of time with Bonnie, but this was the first time I was hearing about this. Was I really that wrapped up in all my troubles?

"Let's have a séance." She says. I gulped and looked at Bonnie who replies that it wasn't a good idea. I shook my head agreeing but Caroline disregarded us.

Next thing I know, we're sitting in a circle on Elena's floor, surrounded by candles, in the dark. I was so scared that I swear I could feel my baby's heart beat get faster. Silly me, but the more I thought about, I could almost _feel_ the baby in my womb. Okay, that was weird to think.

"Emily, you there?" Bonnie called out. I snickered as Caroline glared at me.

"Really? "Emily, you there?" That's all you got?"

"Emily, I call on you. I know you have a message. I'm here to listen." The candles flared and I got major goose bumps. I felt the magic swirl within me, reacting to…something.

"Ask her to show you a sign. Ask her. Emily if you're among us, please show us another sign." Caroline called out. Nothing happened.

"See? It's not working." The windows bang open. I screamed and gripped Elena's hand tighter. "I'm done." The candles went out as she threw the necklace to the ground. "Get the light, please get the light!" Elena flicked on the lights and we looked around the room. Bonnie made a small whimpering sound.

"The necklace is gone, guys." She whispered. I wrapped my arms around myself and stood close to Elena. She was in over-protective big sister mode and I gladly let her.

"Come on Caroline, shows over, give it back." Elena said. Caroline scoffed and denied her claims. Meanwhile, Bonnie looks into the bathroom and enters, the door slamming quickly behind her.

"Bonnie!" I yelled. I shook the door knob and slammed my hands on the door.

"I'll check the other side." I heard Elena call.

"Guys, let me out!" Bonnie panicked from the other side of the door.

"It's okay Bonnie, we got you." I tried magic on the door, but everything I tried failed.

Suddenly, the door opened to show Bonnie sitting with her eyes closed on the ground. She looked perfectly fine, not a hair out of place.

"Oh my God, Bonnie, are you okay?" I asked and knelt in front of her. She opened her eyes and gave me a polite smile.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine." She said, I touched her shoulder and the image of Emily from the picture entered my mind. I gasped and fell back. She got up and walked out the door, almost gliding over the carpet. Caroline was freaking out that Bonnie had been faking the whole time, but Bonnie totally ignored her.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Elena called as Bonnie walked down the stairs.

"I must go." Caroline started to get her coat too.

"I must go back to where it all began." She said as she grabbed her coat. "Thank you for having me."

"Emily." I said. I walked down the stairs towards her, but before I could reach her, I was stuck.

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**Whatcha guys think? Please review and wait patiently for the next chapter! I love you guys:)) **


	13. Chapter 13

"Grove witch, do not try to stop me. I must not let him have it. It must be destroyed." She left, and I was released from the hold she had put on me. I ran for the door, but it was locked. I pulled and pulled until finally it gave, but Jeremy was walking into the house. I sighed and I could hear Elena on the phone, probably with Stefan.

"Stay here." Elena said to me as she grabbed her car keys.

"No!" I said. I wanted to go with her; if Damon was involved I need to be there.

"You need to be safe; it's not just you anymore, Hayley." She kissed my cheek then she was gone. I huffed and turned around to see Jeremy going through some old boxes. I heard Jenna come through the door and flirting with…Alaric the history teacher? She bade him goodnight and shut the door.

"So you found the boxes?" I tuned them out as I grabbed the ice cream from the fridge and sat down at the island. Jenna looked up at me, and I looked away. She sighed and sat across from me.

"I'm sorry I said that to you earlier. I shouldn't have, not with everything going on." I swallowed my bite and looked at her.

"I understand why you said it, but it didn't make it hurt any less. But, since you're my favorite aunt, I'll forgive you." I winked and offered the ice cream. She took a bite.

"Guess we'll have to make an appointment for you and start you on vitamins; going to need my great niece/nephew strong." She grimaced at the great niece/nephew bit. "That makes me sound old." I laughed.

"I thought about that. It's crazy to think that here in a few months, I'll be a mom." I said.

'I think you've got more than a few months. Now, I think I'll go to bed." She kissed my forehead and watched her leave.

"I hope so." I muttered and put the ice cream back. I went upstairs and got ready for bed.

I had just fallen asleep when my door opened. I looked up to see two tear stained girls.

"Elena? Bonnie?" I asked. They both sobbed at the same time and hurled themselves towards my bed. I wrapped my arms them both as they cried and explained what had happened tonight. I felt horrible because I didn't even know that Stefan and Elena had broken up. How horrible was I?

"I'm so sorry." I whispered and hugged her. My heart broke because of her pain and of what Damon wanted. He wanted Katherine back, Elena had told me the story of the two brothers and how the got involved with the woman (Elena didn't know that Katherine looks exactly like her and I didn't have the heart to tell her), when we were having a baby and were together as of today? I felt anger more than anything though, because I knew that this would happen. Well, I didn't think I would end up pregnant.

We fell asleep holding hands and my dreams were plagued with memories of my supposed other life and Damon.

"Hayley, I called Dr. Greene and he said you could come in for an ultrasound today, if you wanted." I nodded at her as she left the room. I pulled myself away from the sleeping girls and grabbed Damon's sweatshirt, the one I came home from the hospital in, and a pair of leggings.

After I showered I walked downstairs. Bonnie was coming down the stairs and waved before she left. Elena followed soon after and sat next to me on the couch.

`"So, an ultrasound today? Want me to come with?" I shook my head.

"I think I'll stop by the boarding house and see if Damon wants to come with." She hesitated, but then she left. I nodded and grabbed the keys and headed over to Damon's.

When I got there, I knocked tentatively and a few seconds later Stefan opened the door.

"Hayley now might not be a good time." He said as he stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"I have to tell you something, because you deserve to know." I took a deep breath and prepared myself. Somehow, I felt like I was going to get the "responsible adult" speech from him too.

"Damon knocked me up." Really? That's the best I could come up with. Stefan nodded and touched my stomach.

"I know. Damon told me…plus, you can hear the heartbeat. It's faint, but I can hear it." My eyes widened.

"What? It shouldn't even have a heartbeat at this stage. It's only been like two weeks."

"Well, there's no confusing that sound with something else. It's faster than yours. Now, about Damon—"

"Hayley!" The door swung open and a shirtless Damon stood before me, bourbon bottle in hand. He grabbed me by the waist and kissed me sloppily. I pushed him off of me.

"Yeah, I don't think so. I have an ultrasound today and I was going to ask you if you wanted to come, but I think you're a little busy." I nodded to the three or four girls wearing only their bra and underwear gather behind Damon.

"I'll come." Stefan offered. Damon looked hurt and tried to grab my arm. I yanked it away and stormed off to my car.

"You don't have to come." I said. Stefan opened his mouth, and then closed it. "I mean, you and my sister aren't together anymore, so I don't see why you would feel like you need to come with me."

"Hayley, you're one of my closest friends. Plus you are carrying the spawn of Damon, so I'm kind of entitled to be around you." I laughed and I started the ignition. I drove through town and pulled into the Dr. Green's private office.

"You ready?" I nodded and we got out of the car.

"Gilbert, Hayley." I told the receptionist. Her eyes got big, when she saw me.

"Yes?" I asked. She diverted her gaze and clicked away at her computer.

"You're early for your appointment, but seeing as no one is here, you can just walk right through that door and sit in the first room on your left." I nodded and I did as she instructed. I sat down on the bed and Stefan sat in the chair next to it.

"Are you nervous?" I nodded and began to tell him just how nervous I was when Dr. Greene entered the room, shining his smile at me.

"Hayley Gilbert. I'll have to say that I'm surprised to see you here." He pulled a machine over and instructed me to lay back and lift my shirt.

"The gel is quite cold, so steady now." I froze as he applied the gel to my lower abdomen. Stefan slipped his hand into mine and gave me a reassuring smile.

"I'll say you are about thirteen weeks, Hayley. That's your baby right there." he said. I'm pretty sure my eyes popped out of my head and I looked at Stefan whose eyes were just as big as mine. He turned to Stefan.

"Are you the father?" I couldn't help but laugh at Stefan's shocked face as he tried to explain that he was just a friend. I smiled and squeezed his fingers.

"Can you see it?" I turned my head back to the screen and sure enough, a very small baby showed up on the screen. The baby was about two and a half inches long.

"That's inside of me right now?" I asked, awe by what I was carrying: a very tiny person, inside of me. I sniffled and a tear slipped own my cheek. "You said three months?" The doctor nodded and pressed a button. A printer whirred and he printed two images of my baby: one from above, and the other from the size. I looked to the screen and watched as the little heart beat was beating.

"That's strange. The heart beat is faster—"Stefan was on his feet, staring the doctor in the eye.

"The baby is fine. The heartbeat is normal. You're going to treat Hayley throughout her pregnancy, no matter what happens. Do you understand?"

"Yes I understand." Stefan let go of his shirt and I gave him a disapproving look. He shrugged innocently while the doctor rubbed the gel off my tummy.

"When will we be able to tell the sex of the baby?" Stefan asked.

"At seventeen weeks. Now, Hayley, remember to take neonatal vitamins and eat healthy. I'll see you in about a month." He left us.

"Stefan…I should not be three month's pregnant. It's been maybe two weeks since Damon and me..." I trailed off. Stefan nodded and helped me off the table.

"Everything is going to be fine, Hayley." He said as we walked out. He offered to drive when he noticed my shaking hands. I nodded and sat down in the passenger seat.

"If I'm thirteen weeks when I should be only two, then that means I'll be having the baby in what…less than three months?" I asked. Stefan nodded stoically and kept his eyes on the road. For some reason, I remembered Katherine and how she looked like Elena.

"Why does Katherine Pierce look like my sister?" I asked. He looked over at me, confused.

"How do you know?"

"I'm a Grove witch, Elena and I. Technically so is Jeremy— what?" Stefan started to frown, and his eyebrows made his forehead crinkle.

"That's impossible. That would mean that…oh my God." A look of realization hit his face and the he was speeding. We got to the boarding house in a few minutes and he was tugging me towards his room.

"Yo, little brother, get off my Gilbert." Damon said.

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**Thank you, thank, thank you for the reviews on this! It means the world to me, and I know I don't personally answer reviews but I want you all to know that I appreciate them greatly and all of you mean so much to me! I hope that you have enjoyed the story so far and stick with me because we have some twists and turns up ahead!;)**


	14. Chapter 14

"Hello, brother." Stefan said stiffly. I really didn't want to be anywhere near Damon after I found out about him wanting Katherine back.

"Damon, I really would not like to talk to you as of right now." I murmured, not being able to look into those icy blue eyes that made warmth gather in my core.

"Why?" I felt a whoosh of wind and I looked to see Stefan had left. I sighed and looked at Damon, who had this lost look on his face.

"I know, Damon. I know that you want Katherine out of the tomb. What were you thinking trying to start a relationship with me when we both know that once you get Katherine out of that tomb, you're gone with her?" I wiped the tears off my cheeks.

"Hayley, you have got this all wrong." He reached out to me, but before I could even register what I was doing, my hand was raised and it came down, hard, against his cheek, hard enough to move his head. His jaw clenched and my hand throbbed. I backed up, but then he had me by my throat against the wall. He wasn't restricting my breathing, but he held me there, his fangs out and his eyes turning black. All of a sudden, his eyes were back to normal, but his fangs were still evident.

"What is that noise?" He whispered. His hand dropped from my throat and it slid down my side until it rested on my waist. His eyes darted down to my stomach then back to my face.

"That's a heartbeat." I nodded and before I knew it, Damon's arms were around me and his mouth was on mine. My hands were on his cheeks holding him close to me. They moved to his hair and I ran my hands through it, slightly tugging on the ends. He pulled away and rested his forehead on mine.

"I want to find Katherine to kill her, Hayley. I don't want her to be alive when this baby is here. I know how she is; she would use the baby against me, against Stefan and Elena. I don't want that, but I want her dead. She took everything good I had, she made me evil." His eyes were closed and his mouth was tight as he spoke.

"That's not true. This baby is a part of you, this baby is _good. _Damon, we are good." I pressed my lips to his once again, gingerly, showing him all the feelings I had for him. I gathered the magic in my fingertips and touched them to his temple, creating a brief telepathic link between us. At that moment, he could see everything inside my mind, just like I could see everything inside his.

I saw the women, the drinking and gambling. I saw all the bad deeds he's done in the last century and a half. I also saw the good deeds. I saw him saving people from burning buildings, I saw him helping an old woman find shelter. I saw him fighting in wars, dragging the injured to safety. I saw how broken and sad he was. I saw just how much he loved Katherine all those years ago and how Stefan had betrayed him and made him feed…and most of all I saw the love he had for me and this baby. I saw how he felt when he looked at me. I saw _that_ night through his eyes and I saw the exact moment he had fallen in love with me. I took away my fingers and the link was gone.

"You are good. You may have some…bad tendencies, but Damon you are far from evil. You are so pure, deep down in that big heart of yours. You don't show it because people have double crossed you again and again, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'll always love you, and this baby will always love you, whether you think you deserve it or not. You're stuck with us.

"What if you die?" He asked suddenly. I had thought of the possibility of not making it through birth.

"Then, what I want you to do, the minute I go into labor, is feed me some of your blood. If I die, then I come back a vampire. Everything is good."

"I don't want this existence for you." He said. He was suddenly across the room, by the table that held the whiskey. He poured a drink and tossed it back.

"Damon, I'm pretty sure I was signed up for this life the day that you're vampire brother started to date my twin sister." He chuckled darkly and I made my way to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and lay my head against his chest.

"Damon, I'm already three months pregnant." He tensed and nonchalantly left my embrace. I tried not to look hurt, but I knew that the news had shocked him.

"That means…the baby should be here around Christmas." I nodded.

'I'm not ready." He said so abruptly, I jumped. He was pacing now, raking his hands through his midnight waves." I thought I had nine months to prepare for this dad thing. Now you're telling me this kid is growing so fast that we're going to be parents by the time we have to tell each other Merry Christmas? I mean…I wanted to spend time with you before we were always busy with Junior." My heart soared at what he called the baby. "I wanted us to have a relationship going for a while before we had to devote ourselves to a baby that needed us. I just…" He threw a glass at the wall. I tried not to flinch when he turned back towards me, but he saw.

"What if the kid does something that I told him not to? What if I do something so horrible—"

"Stop." I walked over and took the next glass from him. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and he buried his face into the crook of my neck. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist. He was shaking so hard and I did nothing but hold him. I ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his throat until he was no longer shaking like a leaf.

"I think you've got this mothering thing down." He said his voice muffled by the skin on my neck. I smiled and pulled back slightly.

"You think?" He nodded and kissed my forehead. His lips lingered there for a moment, until Stefan entered the room.

"This is not the time, brother." Damon hissed.

'There's another vampire in town." He simply stated. He grabbed my purse and my keys and held them out to me, waiting patiently.

"Why am I so selfless? I just want to spend the night in with my girl, some chocolate ice cream and some movies. Let's go." I laughed and grabbed my things from Stefan. On the way out, Damon smacked my ass and flashed to my car.

"I'm driving." He held his hand out for the keys.

"No, I'm driving." In a few seconds, Damon had gotten the keys and started my car. Stefan chuckled behind me and tried to help me down the stairs.

"God, I'm not even showing yet. I can still walk around." I grudgingly slipped in the passenger seat while Stefan slid into the back. Damon held my hand all the way to my house, and for a few minutes I could pretend that he wasn't a vampire, and the baby I was carrying wasn't half vampire and already three months developed.

"So, how was it?" Elena asked, bouncing with excitement. I smiled and hugged her while we all piled into the house. I plopped down on the couch and rested my head back.

"It couldn't have been that bad. I mean, you can only be about two weeks along." She insisted.

"More like, three months, sister dearest. Be a doll and get me something to drink?" I opened my eyes and she gave me a questioning look. I sighed and got up.

"I'm only pregnant with a child that is growing two times the normal rate. I could at least get a little help." It wasn't until then that I had realized just how tired I was, and how hungry.

In a few minutes, I had bacon going in a pan and I was whisking eggs up. I poured orange juice in a glass and put two pieces of bread in the toaster.

"If you are just going to stare at me, will you at least help me keep an eye on the bacon?" I asked. I looked up at the three people standing there, watching me. I blushed and turned around to mess with the bacon. I pushed it around in the pan and started another for the eggs. I began to feel dizzy as I looked at the sizzling. I stumbled and held on to the counter for support. I felt a pair of arms around me and saw Damon looking down at me, concerned.

"Have you eaten today?" he asked. I shook my head sheepishly. His mouth puckered and he sat me down in one of the kitchen chairs. I watched as he donned a Kiss the Cook apron, and finished my breakfast for dinner. I couldn't fight the smile that was working onto my face.

"Hey, sweetie, when you're done, there's laundry in the dryer that needs folding, and the living room could be vacuumed." He squinted his eyes at me and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Ha ha very funny." He sat the food in front of me and the look he gave me made the blush rise from my neck to my hairline.

"Eat." He kissed my flushed forehead and left. I ate and finished everything, but I still felt like I was hungry. I looked to see Stefan leave and Elena sit on the couch, all sad like. I got up and just kind of stood in the kitchen, looking around. I heard a laugh from the stairs.

"Are you okay?" Elena was making her way towards me.

"Help me wash the dishes?" She nodded and we stood side by side, her washing and I rinsing and drying. I was still hungry, so incredibly hungry.

"Did your stomach just growl?" Elena asked, hesitantly. I nodded and held my stomach. She handed me a knife and I grasped the blade.

"Damn it, the knife." I looked down to see my hand, blood streaming down from it. Before our eyes, the bleeding stopped and my skin stitched itself back together.

"Did that just happen?" Elena asked. I nodded.

"So how about that job fair tonight? Want to go?" She nodded and without saying anything, the whole thing was forgotten.


	15. Chapter 15

We walked into the school side by side. I felt like I hadn't been there in forever. I watched as people milled the halls, going from station to station. I nodded at Sheriff Forbes, my mind flashing back to the night Lexi died. I was in the cafeteria when a forgotten station caught my eye. Over in the corner, a table held a picture of a woman holding a child in her arms. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me and made my way over to the station.

"I'd be careful, or people are going to think you want to become a mother at this early age." A voice said to me. I jumped around to stare into the face of Logan Fell.

"May I ask who the hell are you to say anything like that to me?" He chuckled and grabbed my arm harshly. His eyes dilated and he tried to compel me. I narrowed my eyes and imagined fire in the man's brain. He crumpled to his knees and grabbed his head.

"You don't want to mess with me, I'm a Grove witch." I let him go and he looked at me.

"Liar, you're a Gilbert; unless you were adopted." I squinted and he was once again on the floor, his head in his grasp.

"Bitch." He gasped out. I let him go and kicked him in the chest.

"I can kill you with one thought, Fell. I can kill you before you sputter out the words O negative." I let him go and without another word, he was gone. I felt woozy and held on to the table for support.

"Whoa, Hayley, you okay?" I heard someone say. I shook my head and wiped my trembling hands on my sweater.

"I just need to get home." I looked up to see Bonnie. She nodded and wrapped an arm around my waist. We left the school and I shot Jenna and Elena a text Bonnie was taking me home.

"Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" I nodded. I've been doing that a lot today.

"What's going on?"

"I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to go home and rest." She didn't say anything and a few minutes later we pulled up my driveway. She helped me into the house and up to my room. She handed me a soft cotton t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants. She left and came back with a glass of water from the bathroom. I took a small drink and set it on my bedside table. I patted the spot across from me on the bed.

"Bonnie, the doctor said I'm three months along." I turned to her and watched as her jaw fell open.

"Yeah. I told Damon and he started to freak out. He called the baby Junior though and it made everything so _real. _Bonnie…what if I can't handle being a mom? I mean, what if I'm not good enough? Elena is the maternal one. I mean what if I'm not strong enough and I screw up this kid? I don't know how to raise a kid, and I always thought I would have my parents around to help me. They're gone and I have to do this all on my own." I took a shaky breath and ran my hands through my hair. I couldn't stop the flow of tears that whispered over my cheeks in rivulets. I sobbed into my hands and I couldn't help but feel sorry for myself. Poor girl, lost her parents, lost her best friend, became a witch, got pregnant, acquired a vampire boyfriend, and has to raise the baby by herself. Even though I love Damon, I really don't have any faith in him as a father because he's just so damn bipolar. I felt horrible about it too, which added to my sorrow.

"Hayley, everything is going to be okay." Bonnie said softly, as she took my hands away from my face." You are not alone. You have a sister, a brother, and an aunt that loves you so much. You have Stefan and me, hell; you'll probably even have Caroline too, once she finds out. Then you're going to have Damon, and he's going to be the best father. There is no way that we would ever let you raise this baby by yourself, we love you too much." I sniffled. She wiped away my tears and handed me a tissue. I blew my nose.

"Really?" she nodded and held me in an embrace. For the next four hours, we laughed and talked. When she left, I was home alone. It was about eleven o'clock at night and I decided I would go to the boarding house.

When I pulled up, Elena was hurrying to her car.

"Elena?" I called out and hurried over to her. She said nothing as she got in the car. I got in the passenger seat and she pulled away, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" We were on a quiet stretch of road, somewhere outside the town and more towards the falls.

"I look like her, like Katherine." I grabbed her hand and looked up in time to see a man standing in the middle of the road.

"Elena!" I screamed and we ran straight into the man, flying up and twisting in the air. The car smashed down and landed upside down. Glass was scattered all over the place and I could smell blood.

We both groaned and I saw the man start popping his bones back in place. I struggled against the seat and Elena looked over to me, and saw the man. I screamed as the man came right in front of the vehicle, before flashing off. Then Damon was in my face.

"How you hanging in there?" He told me to brace myself against the ceiling and he undid my seat belt. He got me out and then got Elena. I watched my cuts heal and then watched as Elena fainted in his hands. He set Elena down on the pavement and was over to me in a flash.

"Are you hurt? Is the baby okay? Are you broken? Can you breathe alright?" I nodded.

"Damon, I'm fine. The baby's fine. It…healed me. I had cuts and bruises everywhere."

'It healed you?" I ignored his face and walked over to Elena. She was out cold.

"Help me get her to your car." He rolled his eyes and picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around my waist and led me to his car. I slid in the passenger seat while he lay Elena down in the back. I leaned my head against the window and fell asleep.

In my haze of unconsciousness I could faintly hear Elena yelling at Damon. I blinked a couple times and wiped my eyes.

"Can you not?" I shot back at her after she got to an almost intolerable level of loudness.

"Tell him that we can not go to Georgia." She said. I rolled my eyes and tried to rub the pain away,

"Damon we can not go to Georgia." The disinterest was obvious in my voice. I closed my eyes and felt like I was going to throw up.

"Pull over." I mentally pressed down on the breaks and flew out of the car, vomiting on the side of the road. A hand rubbed my back as I collapsed to my hands and knees. I continued to dry heave after the contents of my stomach were displayed before me.

"Are you okay?" Damon's voice was in my ear.

"Pregnancy's a bitch, but I'll manage." I wiped my mouth and he helped me back up. Elena offered me a piece of gum and I took it gratefully. I sat down in the passenger side of the car when Elena's phone began to ring. I listened as Damon spoke to Stefan for Elena.

"You have a good day, bye now." He hung up and they crawled back into the car.

"We need to get where we need to go, because I can not take anymore traveling." My shirt felt tight around my mid section. I looked down and sure enough, a bump was beginning to form.

"No way." I muttered and lifted my shirt and poked at the flesh underneath. It was rock solid, like I expected it to be.

"Is that…?" Damon asked. I nodded silently and placed my shirt back. I watched the trees race by and was relieved when we finally pulled up to a little bar.

"They're not going to let us in." Elena insisted as he pulled us inside. I watched as a tall, black woman came over and kissed Damon. Anger spiked my blood and Damon gave me an apologetic smile as the woman described him as the man who destroyed her life blah, blah, blah. Just don't kiss him again, okay sister?

"Grove witch." The woman nodded at me, with an odd look of respect in her eyes. I smiled slightly and unconsciously grabbed Damon's hand. She saw.

"So how did—"

"Do you have food?" I interrupted. I felt like I was going to throw up again if I didn't get anything in my stomach. She nodded and went about cooking, and pouring shots. Damon and I sat silently, watching her work.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked. I smiled and was about to tell him yes when a plate of food was set in front of me: burger and fries.

"Beer?" I shook my head. She sat a can of Pepsi in front of me and I was forgotten. I gobbled up the food and drank the Pepsi as fast as I could. I was still hungry. How in the world could I be hungry still?

"Damn, witch." The woman, Bree, muttered as she cleared my plate. I tugged on Damon's sleeve, wanting to ask him when we could go home. I didn't feel comfortable being pregnant and in a bar. That's when it happened.

"Can I get two beers?" A tall blond woman asked. She leaned close to me, her neck exposed. She was so close I could see the vein and the blood that pulsed under the skin. My upper jaw started to sting and I could feel my mouth start to water. She smelled like freesias and slightly of sweat.

"Hayley, snap out of it." Damon turned me around by my shoulder and stared at my mouth. He quickly pressed a kiss to it, and I could feel them.

Fangs, I had fangs. I felt them disappear and I pushed Damon away.

"Did I just have fangs?" I whispered. He nodded and I let my head fall to the bar.

"I should have known. This baby is going to make me drink blood. I can't even." I sighed and looked out the window to see Elena talking on the phone.

"I think I'm going to sleep in the car." I kissed his cheek and nodded at Bree before walking out of the building, past Elena, and to the car. Once inside, I blasted the air, reclined, and cuddled up under Damon's leather jacket.


	16. Chapter 16

_I watched as the TV turned on and I could see two figures at a bar. It was Damon and Elena._

_ "I love this episode." A voice said from the hallway. I turned and saw Ella standing there in jean shorts and a black tank top. I stared at her, eyes wide open. She was alive and she was talking about the two most important people in my life like they were nothing but TV characters. Why _were_ they on the TV?_

_ "Yeah, this is the one where they meet Bree, and Damon and Elena begin their friendship. It's so cute!" She sat next to me. I watched in horror as Damon stared at her like she was his world. He looks at me like that._

_ "Why is he looking at her like that?" I asked._

_ "Oh, you know that Damon's in love with Elena. You've only seen this episode like ten times." She giggled and slapped my arm. I winced and settled a hand on my flat stomach. I looked down in horror and poked the soft flesh. I tried to move something with my mind, but nothing worked._

_ "What's happening? Why do you keep saying that Damon loves Elena? He loves me! You're dead! I'm supposed to be a witch, and pregnant. Where's my baby?" Ella looked at me for a moment before erupting into giggles._

_ "Hayley, I think you are getting a little too into the show." I shook my head and watched as Elena got drunk surrounded by people she didn't know. Damon laughed, drinking right along with her._

_ "No, Damon loves me! We're having a baby." I looked at her and around the unfamiliar room we were in. The thing is…the room felt familiar from the cream walls, to the twinkling lights strung from the ceiling, to the lacy curtains that were pulled aside to show the sun high in the sky._

_ "Hayley, come off it. It's just a TV show. The Vampire Diaries, remember? Damon, and Elena, and Stefan…they're all fictional characters. Are you feeling okay?" She grinned and pressed her hand against my forehead. I shook her off and stood from the bed._

_ "No, it's my life! My name is Hayley Gilbert; I have a twin sister named Elena and a brother named Jeremy. We lost our parents in a car accident last spring and you died, just a few weeks ago!" I started to feel light headed._

_ "No, you're name is Hayley Gaskin, you have one sibling: a little brother named Matt. Your mom died when you were thirteen and your dad owns his own business, in the city. What's wrong with you?" She asked, the smile gone from her face. I shook my head, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to believe. I looked on the TV screen and saw Damon's pleading face._

_ "I love you Hayley." He said, breaking character. I grabbed the sides of my head, trying to keep my cool. Then all at once, these memories of watching the Vampire Diaries for the past three years rammed painfully in my mind._

_ "Stop, please stop it." I was screaming incoherently as they shoved their way into my brain, kicking out the ones of my life in Mystic Falls. It stopped. It was quiet. I looked up and saw that Ella was gone, and next to my bed stood a white bassinet. I got up and walked over slowly, trying to peek in without getting to close. Inside laid a small baby, with eyes the exact steely shade as mine. I picked him up and held him close to me. I pressed my cheek to his forehead and the memories of Damon and Elena came back to me. Ella was back now and she was ripping the baby from my arms._

_ "No, no, Ella, please, no! Ella!" I screamed._

My eyes shot open and I sat up. I felt my stomach, and it was as hard as ever. I sighed and wrapped Damon's jacket around me, smelling the familiar aftershave and leather. I looked outside and it was dark. I opened the car door and could hear the laughter and cheering from inside. I walked in to see exactly what I had seen on TV. In the dream, now was the time when Elena's phone rang.

_Briiiing, briiing._

I watched in horror as Elena pulled her phone from her pocket and stumbled past me, outside. I stood there like a fish, my mouth opening and closing. I watched out the window, helplessly as a blur flew by the window and Elena was gone.

"Damon. " I whispered, knowing he'd hear me, even intoxicated. I ran out of the bar and around the building.

"Where's Elena."

"Damon, Hayley no, it's a trap!" Then Damon was on the ground, a man pouring gasoline all over him. I froze him with my mind, the effort causing me to go blind and deaf. I had both my hands thrown out and my eyes zero in on the back of this man that was trying to kill the father of my child.

"Hayley, you can stop now." I sagged against her and watched as the man flung Damon into a building. I didn't even have the energy to go help him as I staggered to the car. Damn this baby is really sapping my energy.

I staggered to the car and once again curled up on the seat under Damon's jacket. I watched as Damon and Elena walked to the car and Elena slipped in the back and Damon entered the bar. From what I had seen in the dream, and the way things were going, Damon was inside killing Bree. I sighed as the smell of blood reached my nostrils when Damon finally slid into the driver's seat.

"Are you going to bury her at least?" I asked. Damon stilled, and I laid a hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry you had to do that. Let's go home." I kissed his cheek and closed my eyes, relieved when the darkness greeted me.

Through the haze of sleep, I could hear voices.

"She's been asleep for a good twelve hours, can't we wake her up?" Elena asked. I heard a hiss and the bed dipped, a cool pair of lips kissing the corner of my mouth. That would be Damon.

"That spell to hold Lee in place really took the energy out of her. She could barely walk back to the car. Plus, I think the baby needs more than just food to survive. While we were at the bar, she grew fangs." Damon informed them. I figured I would stop eavesdropping and opened my eyes, yawning.

"Hey, sleepy head; how are you?" Elena asked. I was lying in my bedroom, Damon, Elena and Stefan surrounding me.

"I'm hungry. And sore. I feel like I got ran over by a truck." I shot Damon, who was beginning to say something, a look before sitting up. I stretched, playfully smacking Damon in the face.

"I think I'll take a shower…so if you guys can leave?" I asked. Everyone but Damon left my bedroom.

"No, you can not join." I said. He looked disappointed. I gathered some clothes and left him sitting on my bed.

"I'm showing." I whispered as I looked at the growing bump between my hips. I traced a line over the most pronounce part of my stomach then turned away from the mirror.

I showered, shaved and brushed my teeth before pulling on my clothes and brushing my hair. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Damon and Stefan's backs as the door closed behind them.

"Hayley, I have something important to say to you." She said. She pulled me to her room where she explained to me about being adopted. Something about this was all familiar, and suddenly the memory of Stefan telling Elena was in my head, but it looked like it was being played on a movie screen. What was that all about?

"I can't believe it either." She said. I shook my head and brought my knees up to my chest. I felt like I've know all along. I've always felt a little like an outsider. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't have asked for better parents because they didn't exist, but I felt like Elena and Jeremy just had most of the attention. They were the children who had talents. Jeremy could draw and Elena had a knack for writing. The only I was good at was reading, and you don't really get recognized at school for that.

"How did they find us? Did we go through a grand adoption agency?" I dropped my voice and wiggled my eyebrows at her. "Maybe they _stole_ us, or we're the daughters of secret agents who died on a top secret mission! Wouldn't that be cool? And the only reason Stefan knows is because _they_ want us to know." Elena giggled and pushed me.

"Who are they?" She asked.

"The government, duh." She shook her head and smiled sadly.

"I don't think so. Aunt Jenna said that Dad helped this young girl named Isobel give birth. She left in the middle of the night, without us." I winced and couldn't help but feel a little rejected. How dare her!

"You probably cried too much and she couldn't handle it. She only left me because she knew we needed each other." I joked. She scoffed and got up from her bed. I rubbed my eyes and tried to hold back a yawn.

"It's only six o'clock, you want to do something?" I asked.

"The fifties dance is tonight! And you are going."

"I'm pregnant…and showing. I don't think a tight dress is going to be a good idea." She looked thoughtful then threw some clothes at me.

"There, the jacket should hide your belly." I shook my head and went and changed.

I was applying eyeliner when Damon walked in. I finished and nodded at his reflection in the mirror. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my neck as I put on red lipstick. I smacked my lips a few times and smiled at my reflection.

"You look simply delicious." He said, a smirk lying lazily on his lips. I winked and twisted out of his grasp.

"I don't know why you would put lipstick on when I'm just going to kiss it off." He said matter-of-factly. I laughed and pulled my boots on and lacing them up.

"Well, just for that, you are not allowed to kiss me tonight." I stood up and smiled at his face.

"Yeah, I went there. And who says you can come to this dance anyways. Aren't you too old?" I joked as I searched my closet for a small purse.

"I'm coming as protection; you didn't hear Elena almost dying downstairs?" He asked. I whirled around, alarmed. I walked over to him and gripped the tops of his arms and shook him.

"Excuse me? Is she alright? No, I didn't hear anything."

"She's fine. That vampire that you guys ran over? Yeah, he's stalking her now, and he wants you. We think he's going to be at the dance tonight. He's been inside, so we have to kill him." His face grew dark and I grew uneasy. My hands slid down his arms until they entwined with his.

"Hey, everything is going to be fine." I whispered. His forehead rested on mine and he wrapped me up in those long arms of his. I rested my head on his shoulder and kissed his neck.

"I like it when you do that." He said quietly. I smiled and kissed him a few more times, leaving red kisses all over his neck.

"I like that you like that." I wiped away the lipstick and pulled away from the hug. He searched my eyes, his face serious. I gave him a small smile before pulling him from the room when I heard Elena call for us.

* * *

**So, Hayley is having memories of her other life. Which one is real though? Could it be that the other life we saw in chapter one was the dream world, and Mystic Falls is her real life? What does this mean for Damon and Hayley's relationship? For their baby?**

**Keep reading and you'll find out;)**


	17. Chapter 17

We entered the school, Elena on Stefan's arm and I on Damon's. We made our way over to the punch where Jeremy was serving.

"Hello, brother." I said mimicking the way Damon always greeted Stefan. Jeremy laughed and handed me a cup.

"This isn't spiked right? I can't be drinking alcohol." I said as I winked. I tugged Damon away and found Elena, Bonnie and Caroline staring over at us. I felt my cheeks heat up and decided that now would probably be a good time to tell Caroline about baby Salvatore. Oh how cute.

"Damon, I have to do something." I squeezed his hand and ignored his protest while I walked over to the three girls. I hugged them all, Caroline gasping as our tummies touched.

"Why is your stomach so hard?" She asked. I sighed and looked at Elena and Bonnie. They nodded in encouragement and I turned my smile back to Caroline. We've never been super close, but there were times when Ella wasn't there and Elena would be with Bonnie that Caroline and I had bonded.

"I'm pregnant. And yes, Damon is the father." To say she was surprised was an understatement.

"Uh, Hayley, I think you broke her." Bonnie said and poked Caroline's shoulder. She flinched after the third time and swatted her hand away.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't think you were the type of girl to be with Damon, or get pregnant!" She exclaimed. She clamped her hands over her mouth and a couple people around us looked at her.

"Damn you Caroline." I growled and marched away. I was hoping to keep my secret until I couldn't hide my bump with a large sweater. I found Damon and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Caroline has a big mouth. The news of our baby will spread around town like wildfire." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and squeezed me to his chest.

"It'll be fine. What do you care what these townies think anyways?" I pulled away from his chest and frowned.

"These townies are the people I grew up with, people who've known me my whole life. High school girls don't get pregnant around here." He laughed, but then grabbed my hand.

"Let's dance." He pulled me out on the dance floor and we swayed to the slow song. I could get lost in his blue eyes. I hope our baby has those eyes. He spun me out and then back in, my back to his front. He placed feather light kisses down my neck before spinning me again and we were then face to face.

"Kiss me." I said. He smiled and bent his head down, his mouth capturing mine in a kiss so tender it made my legs go weak. I broke away and rested my forehead on his shoulder.

"I'll never get sick of your kisses." He whispered as he rubbed my back. I just wanted to take him home and kiss him all night long.

"Brother, you have a really bad habit of interrupting really good things." I heard Damon rumble. I lifted my head and saw Stefan standing next to us, worry written all across his face.

"Elena?" He nodded and he was gone. Damon took my hand and led me very quickly out of the gym. He led me to the cafeteria and in a second I was by myself and Stefan had just thrown the vampire off of Elena.

"Hey, dick, nobody wants to kill you." Damon said. I snorted and the vampire snarled once more and went after Elena again. Damon threw Stefan the stake and he dug it into the vampire's stomach. I cringed and ran over to Elena, who was shaken up.

"Feel like talking now?" Stefan asked the vampire. He spat at Stefan, who dug the stake deeper into his abdomen,

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked.

"Because it's fun." The vampire on the ground had a sadistic smile on his face. I cringed into Elena when the stake dug even deeper in to the vampire.

"She looks like Katherine." He grunted out.

"You knew Katherine?" Damon inquired. The vampire laughed and we all sort of looked at each other.

"You thought you were the only ones? You don't even remember me." He said and let out another grunt of pain.

"Tell me how to get in to the tomb." Damon demands. The vampire refuses. The stake is now protruding from his back.

"The journal, check Jonathon Gilbert's journal." He said. They bantered a few more seconds before Damon finally killed him. I had to look away. Damon's head flicked up and he was gone.

"I think I'm ready to go home." I said. Elena nodded silently and Stefan led us out of the cafeteria. We were by Jenna's car when Damon met back up with us. He picked me up and put me in his car and we drove to the boarding house.

"You're staying with me. Elena's already texted Jenna and said you were staying at Bonnie's." He looked at me, his face dark, and I knew that I had no choice. We pulled up to the house and Damon ran, vamp style, to my side and helped me out. We went straight to the library. I walked the rows of books until I found a collection of Hawthorne's best stories.

"It is too silent and that baby's heartbeat is driving me insane." He said loudly after a while. I looked up at him and shrugged. He growled and down another shot of whiskey.

"Must you always be drunk?" I asked. He grinned and nodded, having another drink. I sighed and put my book down. I was starving.

"I'm hungry, Damon." He nodded and was gone. In a few seconds he was at my side with a two blood bags. I shied away from them as he opened them, but then smell hit me. I tore one away from Damon and emptied its contents in a mere five seconds.

"Calm down, tiger." He said as I swallowed the last bit of blood. I felt replenished. I had energy that I hadn't felt since before I got pregnant. Damon made his way over to my and kissed me, licking the blood away from my lips.

"That was hot." I admitted. He smirked down at me and handed me the next one. I did the same and he once again licked the remaining blood from my lips. I was dizzy and I felt almost high. I plopped down on the couch, hands on my belly.

"We are happy." I said and giggled. I curled up into a ball and watched Damon watch me. It was an intense staring contest, one I knew I would loose, what with the way he was looking at me. I blushed and looked down at my hands. I looked up to see a sort of awed expression on his face.

"I love you." He said quickly. I sat motionless. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the blush that was making its way up Damon's face. I couldn't help but laugh.

'What?" he snapped and it made me laugh some more.

"I'm sorry." I breathed in between my giggles. "It's just that, you were blushing!" I howled and again was sent into spasms of chuckles that shook me. It died down and I wiped my face of the tears that were threatening to overspill. Damon's hands were clenched as he watched me and I knew that I had crossed a line. Before I could apologize again he slammed the door and left. I sighed and walked out of the library to his room, where I knew I would find him. I paused outside his door, before hesitantly poking my head inside. His chest was heaving as he lay on his bed, eyes and hands clenched tight. I padded over to him and slipped into bed. I snuggled into his side, my head on his shoulder and my small hands clasped around one of his. I looked up at his face, his eyes still screwed up tight and whispered what had been hidden in my heart for a long time.

"I love you, Damon." I breathed. His chest stopped moving and his hand finally squeezed mine back.

"Are you lying?" He said after awhile. In that moment, I saw just how broken Damon was, how vulnerable Katherine had made him. I could feel the raw hurting inside of Damon that always accompanied him throughout life. It broke my heart, shattered it into small pieces.

"Oh Damon," I sobbed as I threw my arms around him. "Damon, I love you so much it physically pains me. With every fiber of my being I love you. You are everything that represents love and compassion. You are my life, my world, my sun. Everything I do, I do for you and you're so sad and it breaks me to know that nothing I will ever do can fix that." I could no longer speak as I crashed my lips to his. His arms circled my waist and he crushed me to his chest. He flipped us over and pressed tender kissed to every inch of my face, kissing away the tears.

"Please stop crying." He whispered against my skin. I sobbed his name and held on to him for dear life. I buried my head in the crook of his neck, my hands buried in his hair. The tears continued to leak from my eyes as we stayed in that position. I took deeps breaths of his scent in, burning it into my memory. I would never get tired of it: the soap he uses, his aftershave, and a little bit of scotch. His face pulled away from my neck and he looked into my eyes before he hesitantly pressed his mouth to mine in a kiss so sweet, it nearly made me cry again.

"Let's go to sleep." He whispered. I nodded and pulled of my jeans and socks before lying down, tears still leaking slowly out of the corners of my eyes. He sighed and he pulled me to his chest. I wrapped my hand up in the fabric of his shirt as I lay there, my tears soaking the black cotton. I soon became exhausted and drifted slowly off to sleep.

* * *

**So, now Caroline knows Hayley's little secret. Who else is going to find out? What is Jenna going to say about Hayley's bump growing so big so soon? What are the towns people going to think? How is she going to hide the fact that for every week, her abby grows six? I hope you stay to find out! Please review and tell me what you think!**


	18. Chapter 18

It was a few days later and I was sleeping over at Damon's when I had the strangest of dreams.

_I looked around and saw that this was my bedroom from my "other" life and sleeping in the bed was a thirteen year old me. The door opened with a bang and the thirteen year old me was being tackled. A short boy was sitting in my lap, his chubby hands squeezing my face._

_"Sis, you gotta get up!" I laughed and squeezed him in my arms._

_"Happy birthday Mattie, you wonderful boy!" I kissed his face all over and tickled his sides. He erupted in laughter and begged me to stop between taking breaths._

_"Okay, okay. How old are you?" I followed as I pulled him from my bed and carried him on my hip, down the stairs and into the kitchen where a man was standing at the stove. He held up three fingers to me before turning to the man_

_"Happy Birthday Matthew!" Mattie made a face and jumped down from my arms. When Mattie had sat down at the table, my dad's smiled dropped and he gathered me into a hug._

_"I wish your mother was here." I patted his back and whispered my agreement. I pulled away and went to sit by Matt._

_"Momma told me happy birthday in my dreams last night!" I watched my dad freeze and I winced. It had only been a month since mom had finally succumbed to cancer as I recall from the memory slideshow from the hospital. I wiped the tears from my eyes and kissed the top of my brother's head._

_"Dad, I've got breakfast." I murmured as I took the spatula from his hand. He nodded curtly and left the kitchen. I watched as I made pancakes in all different shapes: dinosaurs, stars, and other animals. I set a plate for Mattie and he chomped on them happily. I watched him and ate my own in silence. The younger me turned to where I stood in the doorway._

_"They need you, and you're going to insist on staying in that fiction world because of a fictional boy." She got up and stood before me, her arms crossed. I studied her face and saw how puffy her steely eyes were, how raw her face was._

_"They need me there, I….we're pregnant." She shook her head, anger written all over her face._

_"It doesn't matter; they are nothing but a show with stupid characters. You have a duty here, in the real world. Mattie needs a mother because, let's face it, Dad doesn't know what he's doing." We cracked a smiled, but her face fell._

_"Are you going to turn your back on a boy, who the only mother he can really remember is you, his older sister?" I looked down at the floor and saw that my baby bump was still there, except now it was much bigger._

_"How do I know that this is really? That Mattie and this other man that you call Dad are real?" I grabbed her hand and pressed it to my abdomen, where I could feel the baby kicking. Her eyes grew big, and she tore her hand away from me._

_"For me, the realest thing in my, our, life is this baby." Her eyes grew wet and the tears flew down her face._

_"A month ago I lost my mother to breast cancer." She pressed her hand to my heart and in that moment I felt the pain she was feeling. The wind was knocked from me as the grief ripped through my heart. The pain I felt from Ella's passing was nothing compared to this, even the death of my parents was a foggy echo of this pain._

_"The reason this grief, the grief of losing our mother is so _**hot**_, so_ **real**,_ is because_ **this**_ is real. You didn't lose your parents; you lost Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, TV show characters. I'll tell you why, Hayley Gilbert," her words dripped with sarcastic venom, "you were thrown into the Vampire Diaries."_

_She grabbed my hand and the room vanished from us. In a second, we were standing in a hospital room. In the bed, there I was, hooked up to monitors and all other sorts of machines._

_"You remember the car accident that killed Ella?" I nodded as I slowly walked over to my sleeping figure. I brushed hair out of my eyes and sat down gingerly on the bed._

_"That very same car accident happened here. You were running, but not with Ella. You're in a coma, and the doctors say that there is a thirty percent chance of you waking up." Hot tears streamed down my face and I wiped my eyes. I shook my head and got up from the bed. I wiped my face and looked out the window._

_"That whole thing you have going with Damon and you being Elena Gilbert's twin sister…it's all a delusion inside of your head because this, your reality, has come to a halt. But you could break it." I turned to her and watched as she looked down at the girl in the bed. Me. I couldn't believe what she was saying._

_"No, this is crazy! I'm just having a really crazy dream. I'm Hayley Gilbert, I live in Mystic Falls, Virginia and I'm in love with Damon Salvatore." She groaned in frustration and stalked over to where I was standing._

_"What is the date of Jeremy's birthday? Jenna's? What is Elena's favorite book? What is Caroline's middle name?" She threw question after question, but no matter how hard I thought, I didn't know._

_"You don't know, because those things were never brought up in the show." I looked down at her, her face smug. I brought my hand up and smacked her. Her head moved with the force of the slap, and I saw the tears drip down her face._

_"I'm sorry." Before I knew what I was doing, I was wrapping the girl in my arms and hugging her to my body. Her arms wrapped around my waist and we stood there._

_"You have to come back. You have to. Mattie needs you, Dad needs you, and Ella needs you." I pulled away from the girl and looked down at my tummy._

_"I love this baby, and I love Damon." She tore herself away from me.,_

_"You are selfish! You are pathetic! How can you say that you are just going to let yourself die here because of some stupid boy?" She was screaming now. I looked down at the ground, my hands shoved into my pockets._

_"I hate you." She whispered. My head snapped up, but before I could say anything to her, the room dissolved and the last thing I saw was the face of a broken, distraught, thirteen year old me._

My eyes shot open and I sat straight up in bed. My hands flew to my stomach and I sighed in relief.

"Is the baby okay?" I looked up to see Damon with a towel around his waist, rushing over to me. I nodded and got out of the bed. I pulled on my jeans and socks.

"Where are you going?" His arms wrapped around my waist and I tensed. I felt weird with Damon now, what with the dream. Why should I feel weird? It was just a dream? I relaxed and melted into his hug, but something kept nagging at me in the back of my mind.

I need to go home, shower, and I thought I would start…baby shopping." I said, making up an excuse. I felt bad for lying to Damon, but I didn't want to tell him that when I saw him now, all I could think of is what I said from the dream. _They're just a TV show._

"I want to show you something." I cocked my head curiously and he led me from the room. I looked down to see he had sweats on now, hanging dangerously low on his hips. I bit my lip and had to hide the blush that crept up my cheeks when Damon looked back to see me staring at his ass.

"Miss Gilbert!" He said appallingly. I laughed as we stopped outside a door. He took a breath and opened the door with a flourish.

"Oh." In the middle of the room, resting against each other, were boxes labeled with crib, bassinet, changing table, dresser. I looked at Damon, who had this nervous smile on his face.

"I want this to be the baby's room. Look, everyday, Junior could wake up and watch the sun rise." He pulled me to the window. I smiled and then he was walking around the room, pointing out where things could go. I didn't even realize I was crying until tears hit my collarbone.

"Why are you crying?" He said breathily. I laughed and barreled into his arms.

"I love you so much." I said and he laughed, smoothing down my hair. We stayed like that, hugging, until I pulled away.

"I really do need to get home though." He nodded and led me out of the room and down to the front door. He kissed my forehead and watched as I made my way to my car. I blew him a kiss before getting in and driving away.

I pulled up to the house and rushed from the car. I opened the door and saw Elena and Stefan sifting through a box of Gilbert memorabilia. I remembered the dream and I couldn't help but feel sad. I loved Elena, my twin sister, but I had been right when I asked about things I knew about this world.

"Hayley, uh, I thought you would be with Damon today." I raised and eyebrow as Elena stood to stand in front of the box, trying to be nonchalant. I dropped my bag and crossed my arms as I walked over to her.

"What are you doing, 'Lena?" I asked.

"Nothing…why, do you think we're up t something?" She became defensive, and almost hostile. My feelings were hurt, and I tried to stop the rise of blood that flooded my cheeks, and the hot tears that were gathering behind my eyes.

"I was just wondering." I muttered before turning and jogging up the stairs, ignoring Elena's calls. I went straight to the bathroom, where I stripped my clothes and stepped right into the stream of water. I yelped at the coolness, and then relaxed when it became warm. I washed my hair and body, mulling over the dream. I sighed as I shut the water off and stepped out of the bath tub to dry. I brushed my teeth and combed through my hair before braiding it. I wrapped the towel around my body and strode into my room.

"Oh, you are not dressed." Stefan was standing at my bed, his back turned to me. I laughed and then pulled the towel tighter around my body.

"Stefan, you've seen me in bed sheets." I turned to my closet and picked out my clothes.

"Oh, right. I just wanted to tell you that Elena feels bad about—"I cut him off.

"I know. I shouldn't have reacted that way. Pregnant, though, remember?" He nodded and walked out of the room with no further talking. I dressed and grabbed the box that held my savings. I counted out a couple hundred before locking the box and sliding the box back under my bed. I jogged down the stairs, grabbed a banana from the kitchen and left.

"Hello, how may we help you?" A perky blond piped up as she walked towards me. I looked around the department store and saw all the mothers with their protruding bellies and doting husbands. I swallowed and turned back to her.

"I'm looking for newborn clothes." I said my voice almost a whisper. She nodded and I cringed at the sympathy evident in her hazy brown eyes.

"Here you go! If you need any more help I'll be up at the cash register." I nodded and picked up the small, baby blue onesy that was hanging on one of racks. I picked up a few, either in white or black, seeming as we didn't even know the sex of the baby yet. I picked up a few bottles and diapers and placed them into the cart. I was looking at the blankets when I stopped in my tracks.

Sitting folded on the table was a blanket I was sure I had seen before. It was knit, and the colors included every shade of blue you could think of. I picked it up and rubbed it to my face. A memory of a dream played through my mind, of Damon, Stefan, and Elena and I gathered around a table at the Mystic Grill all cooing over a baby.

I flung it from my face and back on the table. I raced away from it and rushed to the cashier.

"Will that be it for you?" I hesitated before shaking my head.

"Give me one moment, yeah?" She nodded and I went back to the blankets and picked up the one I had thrown aside. I took it back to the cashier and she rung me up. I paid and left the store in a haze of confusion.


	19. Chapter 19

"What is all this?" Stefan asked as I entered the Salvatores' house, bags in hand. Damon flashed to my side and I gratefully let him take them to the baby's room. I smiled and sat down across from Elena and Stefan.

"Baby stuff." I remembered the blue blanket and frowned.  
"What is it?" I smiled at Stefan and shook my head. My eyes flickered towards Elena who had her arms across her chest and staring any place other than me.

"Nothing, I'm...just tired, I guess. I don't know if its pregnancy in general, or if it's because it's the spawn of Damon, but it gets to me." We laughed and I grabbed the glass of blood on the table and chugged it. I licked my lips and saw Elena turn a slight pale color.

"I'm sorry, but the baby needs more than just, uh, human food." She nodded as Stefan wrapped his arm around her shoulders. I watched her shiver and I felt the emotions push to the surface. Why was she acting like that? My own sister, my twin sister at that. Hot tears pushed to the surface as I realized that she was disgusted by me.

"That was mine." I heard Damon pout from the doorway. I looked up at him just as the tears rolled down my cheeks. His smile left his face and was quickly replaced by the worried one while I grabbed my keys and rushed from the room.

"Hayley?" I pushed past him and out the front door. Just as I was opening the car door his hand was in the way, shutting it. I tried to move him off of it, but to no prevail. His arms wound around me, but I pushed his arms away from me. "Hayley, what the hell is wrong?" He asked, annoyed now.

"I disgust her, Damon." I said through clenched teeth. I sighed and wiped at my eyes. His brows furrowed in confusion and I sighed, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Elena, she knows I drink blood right? Well I drank it, and I turned and she...Damon, she looked like she was going to be sick." I was whimpering as the words left my mouth. Elena has never looked at me like that, not even when I told her I had lost my virginity to Tyler Lockwood at a party last year. That is a story for never, though.

"She'll get over it." I shook my head and pressed my fists into my eyes. When Damon wrapped his strong arms around me this time, I let him. I felt so small and fragile in those arms, yet the safest I had ever been.

"I like that blue blanket you bought." He murmured as his hands stroked the back of my head. I stiffened as I remembered a dream I once had, yet the way I reacted was weird, even for a dream. I brushed the thought from my mind and relaxed back into his embrace, my arms wrapping themselves around his waist.

"I could stay like this forever." I whispered into his chest. I could feel the rumble of his laughter and tilted my head back to look at his face. "Did you know that you're beautiful?" I blurted. He looked down, his face a mixture of shock and amusement. I blushed and buried my head back into his chest, once again feeling the rumble of his laughter. His arms squeezed me a little tighter and he kissed the top of my head.

"Of course I know that." I shook my head in amused exasperation and pulled away from the embrace.

"Sometimes I think you keep me around just to stroke that big ego of yours." He smirked and his head bent down and he whispered in my ear.

"I'll tell you what I keep you around to stroke, and it isn't my ego." I pulled away from him and smacked his chest. He laughed and pulled me in to press his mouth to mine. My arms stayed on his chest as his locked around my waist.

"Your tummy is bigger than it was last night." He whispered against my lips. My cheeks flamed red and I pulled away to yell at him when my eyes drifted to where my stomach met his. My black t-shirt stretched over the swollen bump in between my hips. My hands dropped to it and a fond smile found its way to my lips.

"Why are you smiling like that?" He asked. I pulled him to the porch and sat down on the steps. I linked our fingers together and brought them into my lap.

"It's been about a week since I went to the doctors, yeah? Well according to my calculations, I'm about nineteen weeks." I said slowly, trying to gauge his reaction. His face broke out into a slow, heartbreaking beautiful smile, the crooked one that made his eyes brighter than the sky.

"Are you excited?" He asked. I nodded and was truly happy that he no longer doubted himself as a father. He smirked and slung an arm around my shoulders, squeezing me to his side.

"Did you think I was going to freak out, like last time?" I nodded and he laughed. I loved it when Damon was like this, laughing and holding me. I didn't like it when he was sarcastic and mean. Well, sometimes I think the reason I fell in love with him was for that smart-ass-I-know-I'm-gorgeous-and-i'm-going-to-use-it-to-my-advantage attitude, but I knew it was because of that large heart of his. The heart that loved me.

"I love you." I said. His other arm wrapped around me and he held me to him, his cheek resting on top of my as he reciprocated. I smiled happily to myself. Sadly, my thoughts returned to my dream. Ever since my accident my dreams have been crazy, talking about other lives where Damon and Elena and Stefan and everyone that I loved were just characters on a TV show.

"When will we know what we're having?" He asked.

"Seventeen weeks." He pulled away,a grin on his face.

"We can go now!" My eyebrows shot up at his enthusiasm and laughed as he called into the house that we were leaving. He pulled me to his car and we rode to the doctors in a comfortable silence that Damon passed by drumming his fingers along to the song inside his head.

"Damon, we don't even have an appointment." I sighed as we pulled up. He pulled me along with him

"You are going to let us go through those doors and let my girlfriend get an ultrasound. I don't care who is up next, we are top priority." I shook my head at him, but I would be lying if I said I wanted to wait. I was excited too. I shook my head as she showed us our room. I sat down on the bed and watched Damon's face grow from excited, to nervous, to stony. The doctor came in and gave me a confused expression.

"Hayley, I thought I just saw you-" Damon jumped up.

"You are going to give Hayley an ultrasound." He nodded and turned on the machine. I lifted my shirt and shivered as the cold gel met my skin. He pressed the wand down on my stomach and I slipped my hand into Damon's.

"Are you the father?" Dr. green asked.

"Yes." Damon smiled proudly and I laughed. The doctor pointed out the baby, it was about the size of a mango.

"Congratulations on your baby girl!" The doctor exclaimed as he printed out the images. My hands flew to my mouth and I couldn't help the tears escape my eyes. My daughter, I had pictures of my _daughter_, in my hands. The doctor left after he wiped the gel off my tummy. I turned to Damon who looked upset.

"Are you ok?" I asked and rested a hand on his forearm. He looked up to me, that worried expression creeping its way into his eyes.

"I'm just worried...if our daughter is as beautiful as me, then I'm going to be breaking necks left and right." I laughed, hard. I jumped off the table and hugged Damon to me. Our daughter...damn, I could get used to saying that.


End file.
